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F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race results and reaction as Max Verstappen wins title

Kieran Jackson
·34 min read
1

Max Verstappen has won the 2023 F1 world championship after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, 26, has won an astonishing 13 out of 16 races this season as well as two of the four sprint races, which includes a memorable 12-race (including sprints) win streak from Miami in May to Italy in September.

Needing to only finish in the top six to seal the title in the shortened 100km dash at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night, Verstappen now cannot be caught by second-placed team-mate Sergio Perez with six races and two sprints to go, after Perez crashed in the sprint.

The Dutchman in the end finished second in the sprint, behind first-time F1 winner Oscar Piastri for McLaren, with Lando Norris finishing third.

Follow live updates from the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent

F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX - SPRINT

Max Verstappen seals 2023 F1 world title during Qatar sprint race

21:24 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has won the 2023 F1 world championship after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, 26, has won an astonishing 13 out of 16 races this season as well as two of the four sprint races, which includes a memorable 12-race (including sprints) win streak from Miami in May to Italy in September.

Needing to only finish in the top-six to seal the title in the shortened 100km dash at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night, Verstappen now cannot be caught by second-placed team-mate Sergio Perez with six races and two sprints to go, after Perez crashed in the sprint.

Max Verstappen seals 2023 F1 world championship in Qatar

Max Verstappen breaks unique 40-year F1 streak after title win in Qatar

21:10 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has become just the fifth driver in Formula 1 history to clinch the world title on a Saturday – and the first in 40 years.

The Dutchman, who has won every grand prix bar three this season, sealed his third straight world title after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday, leaving his team-mate unable to catch him with six races and two sprints to go.

Verstappen has been unstoppable throughout 2023 and, despite his dislike of the sprint race format, secured his 2023 crown in the 100km dash around the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night.

It marks the end of a streak dating back to 1983 of drivers clinching the world title on a Sunday, the traditional day of a grand prix race.

The unique 40-year F1 streak broken by Max Verstappen after title win in Qatar

Max Verstappen’s best moments as he wins 2023 F1 world title

20:56 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has clinched his third world championship.

The most one-sided Formula One campaign of recent memory was dominated by the Dutch driver.

Max Verstappen’s best moments as he wins 2023 F1 world title

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on Verstappen’s title win:

20:40 , Kieran Jackson

“Huge congratulations to Max Verstappen on his incredible achievements this year and to the Red Bull team who have all worked tirelessly to win the driver’s and constructors titles this season.

“Max is an amazing talent and what he has done this year has been phenomenal.”

Christian Horner after Max Verstappen sealed the world title:

20:27 , Kieran Jackson

“Max is the most competitive driver I’ve ever met, the determination he drives with and the abundance of skill he has - he’s up there with the very, very best.

“This season has surpassed anything we’ve seen - we did a lot of winning with Sebastian but this has taken it to yet another level. He’s only 26 and he’ll still only get better, evolve and get better as a driver.

“The self-belief to go out and deliver is quite outstanding. His ability to be at one with the car, that self-belief is absolutely standout.”

Max Verstappen’s dad Jos Verstappen:

20:13 , Kieran Jackson

“He was so dominant this year, we are very proud of that. We made the right decisions in the beginning of his career, I’m very happy with how strong he is and the way he works for it.

“We have to enjoy it!”

Max Verstappen breaks unique 40-year F1 streak after title win in Qatar

20:01 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has become just the fifth driver in Formula 1 history to clinch the world title on a Saturday – and the first in 40 years.

The Dutchman, who has won every grand prix bar three this season, sealed his third straight world title after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday, leaving his team-mate unable to catch him with six races and two sprints to go.

Verstappen has been unstoppable throughout 2023 and, despite his dislike of the sprint race format, secured his 2023 crown in the 100km dash around the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night.

It marks the end of a streak dating back to 1983 of drivers clinching the world title on a Sunday, the traditional day of a grand prix race.

The unique 40-year F1 streak broken by Max Verstappen after title win in Qatar

Lando Norris after finishing third:

19:53 , Kieran Jackson

“Congrats to Oscar and Max, first win earlier than mine! Tough race for me, bad start, but had some fun racing. Another podium for us so it’s been a mega day for the team.

“Tough fight, not the best of beginnings.

“I’ve been trying a long time, Oscar has done a mega job. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and he hasn’t, hats off to him.”

Max Verstappen:

19:40 , Kieran Jackson

“To be a third time world champion is just incredible. We’ll keep on pushing, today was an exciting race.

“It was fun out there, incredibly happy at the moment. Oscar drove a great race, he did very well.”

On future: “We’ll see what happens, enjoy the moment. Hoepfully we can keep this momentum going for a while!”

Oscar Piastri after winning the sprint:

19:29 , Kieran Jackson

“Very happy, a very stressful race. It was good, safety cars were my friend today but the pace was reasonable. We did a really good job.

“Anything you can learn for tomorrow, once he got through into second I thought I’d be in trouble but the pace was good.”

Max Verstappen on team radio:

19:16 , Kieran Jackson

“Unbelievable guys, I don’t know what to say. Incredible year, thank you for providing me with such a car. Big thank you to everyone for putting all the effort in to achieve something like this, I can’t thank you all enough.

“Besides all the performance stuff, it’s really enjoyable to work with all of you - so thank you very much.”

Oscar Piastri wins the sprint race in Qatar!

19:10 , Kieran Jackson

What a moment for Oscar Piastri - the rookie wins in Formula 1 for the first time!

He’s won a race for McLaren before his team-mate!

Max Verstappen comes home for second - and he is world champion - with Lando Norris third.

4-8: Russell, Hamilton, Sainz, Leclerc, Albon

Alex Albon got a point right at the end there from Fernando Alonso...

Oscar Piastri is maintaining that two-second lead on Max Verstappen (Lap 19/19)

19:08 , Kieran Jackson

The lead is dropping, but it doesn’t seem quick enough for Max Verstappen!

Just one more lap to go for Oscar Piastri, on the verge of his first win in Formula 1!

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has moved up to seventh, and is right on the gearbox of Charles Leclerc in sixth!

All action at the end!

Max Verstappen moves up to P2 (Lap 16/19)

19:07 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has superior speed over George Russell - mediums compared to softs - and now the hunt is on for the Dutchman, with Oscar Piastri two seconds out in front!

Can the Aussie hold on?

Further back, Lando Norris is back up ahead of the Ferraris.

Top-8: Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Norris, Sainz, Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton

Max Verstappen seals 2023 F1 world title during Qatar sprint race

19:05 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen has won the 2023 F1 world championship after Sergio Perez crashed in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, 26, has won an astonishing 13 out of 16 races this season as well as two of the four sprint races, which includes a memorable 12-race (including sprints) win streak from Miami in May to Italy in September.

Needing to only finish in the top-six to seal the title in the shortened 100km dash at the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday night, Verstappen now cannot be caught by second-placed team-mate Sergio Perez with six races and two sprints to go, after Perez crashed in the sprint.

Max Verstappen seals 2023 F1 world championship in Qatar

Safety car comes in! (Lap 15/19)

19:03 , Kieran Jackson

George Russell doing well to stay with Oscar Piastri out in front at the restart - but the McLaren stays in front!

Further back, Charles Leclerc clears Lando Norris for fourth place and is now on the back of his own Ferrari!

Oscar Piastri back into the lead! (Lap 13/19)

18:59 , Kieran Jackson

Just before that Sergio Perez crash, Oscar Piastri retook first place from George Russell with superior speed on the medium tyres!

Top-8: Piastri, Russell, Verstappen, Sainz, Norris, Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton

I don’t think the Red Bull pit wall have told Max Verstappen that he’s the champion... but I’m sure he knows!

Breaking: Max Verstappen seals 2023 F1 world title during Qatar sprint race!

18:56 , Kieran Jackson

Sergio Perez has crashed out after colliding with Esteban Ocon, with Nico Hulkenberg also involved!

And that hands the championship to Max Verstappen!

Another safety car in the sprint!

Max Verstappen up to third (Lap 10/19)

18:54 , Kieran Jackson

Here comes the championship leader!

Max Verstappen takes third from Carlos Sainz and is up to third!

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri’s medium tyres look to be working better than George Russell’s softs - the Aussie is back within a second!

George Russell leads (Lap 8/19)

18:51 , Kieran Jackson

It’s been a George Russell masterclass so far!

He gets away superbly after the safety car and is now 1.4 secs clear of Piastri too!

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen surges down the inside of Charles Leclerc on the main straight to take fourth place!

That Red Bull DRS as strong as ever!

Safety car coming in!

18:47 , Kieran Jackson

Wow, what a start!

Plenty of drama and action - and a new order at the front!

Safety car is coming in now ahead of lap seven...

TOP-8:

18:42 , Kieran Jackson

1) George Russell

2) Oscar Piastri

3) Carlos Sainz

4) Charles Leclerc

5) Max Verstappen

6) Lando Norris

7) Esteban Ocon

8) Fernando Alonso

A reminder that only the top eight score points...

George Russell takes first place! (Lap 4/19)

18:41 , Kieran Jackson

What a move from George Russell!

He dives down the inside and Oscar Piastri doesn’t see him coming! Russell up to P1

And Logan Sargeant comes off at the back and into the gravel - that’ll be another safety car!

Safety car comes in!

18:39 , Kieran Jackson

A very brief safety car period sees Piastri get away well...

SAFETY CAR!

18:37 , Kieran Jackson

Liam Lawson can’t get his car out of the gravel at turn 2 - and we have an early safety car!

New top-five: Piastri, Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Verstappen

Oscar Piastri leads off the line!

18:36 , Kieran Jackson

Brilliant start from Oscar Piastri - he keeps hold of P1 - but Lando Norris got off the line very badly and is down to sixth!

George Russell propels up to second, with the Ferraris P3 and P4 - Max Verstappen down to fifth!

Liam Lawson has gone off at the back and is beeched in the gravel!

Formation lap!

18:31 , Kieran Jackson

Oscar Piastri - for the first time in his Formula 1 career - leads the pack around the Lusail Circuit for the formation lap!

The top three all on medium tyres, while 4-6 are on softs and going slightly more aggressive with their strategy.

Can the McLaren top two keep Verstappen behind them at turn 1?

Starting grid for the Qatar sprint race:

18:28 , Kieran Jackson

1) Oscar Piastri

2) Lando Norris

3) Max Verstappen

4) George Russell

5) Carlos Sainz

6) Charles Leclerc

7) Nico Hulkenberg

8) Sergio Perez

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Esteban Ocon

11) Pierre Gasly

12) Lewis Hamilton

13) Valtteri Bottas

14) Liam Lawson

15) Zhou Guanyu

16) Lance Stroll

17) Alex Albon

18) Yuki Tsunoda

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Logan Sargeant

What does Max Verstappen need to be world champion?

18:22 , Kieran Jackson

It’s quite simple – Verstappen only needs three more points between now and the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.

  • Recent history suggests that will come in the next race, which is the Saturday sprint race (100km dash) around the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. As a result, Verstappen only needs to finish sixth or higher – regardless of where Perez finishes – to secure his third-straight world title.

  • Though an unlikely set of circumstances, a seventh-place finish would be enough if Perez comes second, while eighth would also secure the title if Perez finishes third.

  • Verstappen could secure the world title without scoring in the points, too. If Perez finishes fourth or lower in the sprint race, Verstappen will be the champion regardless of where he finishes.

  • If Perez wins the sprint and Verstappen fails to score a point (top eight-finish), then Verstappen would still be crowned champion if he finishes eighth or higher during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.

  • Verstappen will leave Qatar as the champion if he has a points advantage of 146 points or more.

Driver Standings ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend

18:18 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 400 points

2) Sergio Perez - 223 points

3) Lewis Hamilton - 190 points

4) Fernando Alonso - 174 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 150 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 135 points

7) Lando Norris - 115 points

8) George Russell - 115 points

9) Oscar Piastri - 57 points

10) Lance Stroll - 47 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 46 points

12) Esteban Ocon - 38 points

13) Alex Albon - 21 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 6 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points

19) Liam Lawson - 2 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

22) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Oscar Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Max Verstappen starts third

18:12 , Kieran Jackson

Sprint shootout report

Max Verstappen will begin his quest to win the world championship from third for Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar as Oscar Piastri took a surprise pole position.

Piastri saw off team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren secured a front-row lockout.

Lewis Hamilton was knocked out of Q2 and qualified only 12th in his Mercedes for the 19-lap dash, which gets underway at 8:30pm local time (6:30pm BST).

Verstappen will wrap up his third consecutive title if he finishes sixth or better, or if Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez fails to finish inside the top three in the sprint at the Lusail International Circuit. Perez qualified only eighth on yet another scruffy outing for the struggling Mexican.

A day after taking top spot for the start of Sunday’s 57-lap main event, Verstappen, who has dominated all year, saw his first lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 5.

Full report below:

Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third

Max Verstappen after qualifying third in the shootout:

18:05 , Kieran Jackson

“It was quite tricky, with the wind the car was moving around a bit. Not the best lap of my life. It will be quite interesting I think.

“Let’s see if we have a better race pace...”

Constructors’ Championship ahead of the Qatar GP weekend:

17:58 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 623 points

2) Mercedes - 305 points

3) Ferrari - 285 points

4) Aston Martin - 221 points

5) McLaren - 172 points

6) Alpine - 84 points

7) Williams - 21 points

8) Haas - 12 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 10 points

10) AlphaTauri - 5 points

Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

17:43 , Kieran Jackson

Fernando Alonso has hailed Max Verstappen as Formula One’s best driver since Michael Schumacher – with the Dutchman on the brink of clinching his third world crown.

The 26-year-old needs to score only three points in Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar to complete a hat-trick of world titles.

Lewis Hamilton has won a record 103 races and stands on seven world titles with Schumacher. But Alonso, 42, omitted the British driver when asked if Verstappen must now be ranked alongside the sport’s modern-day greats.

Full quotes below:

Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

What does Max Verstappen need to be world champion?

17:29 , Kieran Jackson

It’s quite simple – Verstappen only needs three more points between now and the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.

  • Recent history suggests that will come in the next race, which is the Saturday sprint race (100km dash) around the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. As a result, Verstappen only needs to finish sixth or higher – regardless of where Perez finishes – to secure his third-straight world title.

  • Though an unlikely set of circumstances, a seventh-place finish would be enough if Perez comes second, while eighth would also secure the title if Perez finishes third.

  • Verstappen could secure the world title without scoring in the points, too. If Perez finishes fourth or lower in the sprint race, Verstappen will be the champion regardless of where he finishes.

  • If Perez wins the sprint and Verstappen fails to score a point (top eight-finish), then Verstappen would still be crowned champion if he finishes eighth or higher during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.

  • Verstappen will leave Qatar as the champion if he has a points advantage of 146 points or more.

Starting grid for the Qatar sprint race:

17:21 , Kieran Jackson

1) Oscar Piastri

2) Lando Norris

3) Max Verstappen

4) George Russell

5) Carlos Sainz

6) Charles Leclerc

7) Nico Hulkenberg

8) Sergio Perez

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Esteban Ocon

11) Pierre Gasly

12) Lewis Hamilton

13) Valtteri Bottas

14) Liam Lawson

15) Zhou Guanyu

16) Lance Stroll

17) Alex Albon

18) Yuki Tsunoda

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Logan Sargeant

Constructors’ Championship ahead of the Qatar GP weekend:

17:15 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 623 points

2) Mercedes - 305 points

3) Ferrari - 285 points

4) Aston Martin - 221 points

5) McLaren - 172 points

6) Alpine - 84 points

7) Williams - 21 points

8) Haas - 12 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 10 points

10) AlphaTauri - 5 points

Piastri’s pole-claiming moment:

17:01 , Kieran Jackson

Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

16:44 , Kieran Jackson

Lance Stroll pushed his personal trainer in the Aston Martin garage and was visibly furious in his interview following qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday.

The Canadian had just been knocked out in Q1 of qualifying and will start Sunday’s grand prix in 17th place.

But as he emerged from his car in the garage, the 24-year-old walked to the back of the garage before seeming to shove his personal trainer in front of the cameras.

His anger was clear to see and was still visible in his interview afterwards.

Full story below:

Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

Lewis Hamilton after only qualifying P12 in the shootout:

16:30 , Kieran Jackson

“Yesterday felt pretty decent but today the balance was completely off. And track limits, mostly turn 13 with the change that they made, but it’s alright.

“I struggled with balance and understeer, I can’t pinpoint why...”

Driver Standings ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend

16:21 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 400 points

2) Sergio Perez - 223 points

3) Lewis Hamilton - 190 points

4) Fernando Alonso - 174 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 150 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 135 points

7) Lando Norris - 115 points

8) George Russell - 115 points

9) Oscar Piastri - 57 points

10) Lance Stroll - 47 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 46 points

12) Esteban Ocon - 38 points

13) Alex Albon - 21 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 6 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points

19) Liam Lawson - 2 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

22) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’

16:02 , Kieran Jackson

Preview by Kieran Jackson

At the Lusail International Circuit, home to the second iteration this weekend of Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix, a reminder of the country’s crowning moment glows bright in the background.

The Lusail Iconic Stadium, the 88,000-capacity golden bowl which hosted last year’s World Cup final, is less than 10 miles down the road. But with the planet’s biggest show having come and gone – with its fair share of acclaim and criticism – Qatari executives are determined to move on. A new spectacle is in town.

“We are the new World Cup for the next 10 years,” boldly stated Amro Al-Hamad, CEO of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, earlier this year.

Full piece below:

How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’

Oscar Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Max Verstappen starts third

15:46 , Kieran Jackson

Sprint shootout report

Max Verstappen will begin his quest to win the world championship from third for Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar as Oscar Piastri took a surprise pole position.

Piastri saw off team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren secured a front-row lockout.

Lewis Hamilton was knocked out of Q2 and qualified only 12th in his Mercedes for the 19-lap dash, which gets underway at 8:30pm local time (6:30pm BST).

Verstappen will wrap up his third consecutive title if he finishes sixth or better, or if Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez fails to finish inside the top three in the sprint at the Lusail International Circuit. Perez qualified only eighth on yet another scruffy outing for the struggling Mexican.

A day after taking top spot for the start of Sunday’s 57-lap main event, Verstappen, who has dominated all year, saw his first lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 5.

Full report below:

Piastri takes first F1 pole for Qatar sprint as Verstappen starts third

Lando Norris after finishing second in sprint qualifying:

15:35 , Kieran Jackson

“Happy for the team but I did another bad job today, should have been pole yesterday and today but it’s not.

“Just mistakes, not putting a lap together when I need to, not putting it together. Frustrating, the car is quick enough but I’m not delivering on what I need to do.”

Fair to say, much like yesterday, that’s he’s not happy.

TOP-10 FOR THE QATAR SPRINT RACE:

15:27 , Kieran Jackson

1) Oscar Piastri

2) Lando Norris

3) Max Verstappen

4) George Russell

5) Carlos Sainz

6) Charles Leclerc

7) Nico Hulkenberg

8) Sergio Perez

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Esteban Ocon

Oscar Piastri after qualifying first in the sprint shootout:

15:18 , Kieran Jackson

“Very happy, I might just give the FIA five minutes to make sure I’m on pole! Pretty good lap, I saw Lando made a mistake on the last corner but no, very happy!

“Struggled a bit in the first two parts but then got my act together for the last one.

“Max is only starting third, he’s not a million miles away. We’ll try our best and see what we can pull off.”

Oscar Piastri on pole!

15:07 , Kieran Jackson

Wow that was dramatic!

Max Verstappen only third fastest, but Lando Norris looks to have it in the bag... before Oscar Piastri goes top of the standings!

Norris looked set to beat it though, before running wide at the final corner!

A pole position spot for the rookie!

“Very very very nice, that was unexpected!” says Piastri.

Lando Norris top with two minutes to go!

15:04 , Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris goes fastest, just 0.039 secs ahead of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri!

Sergio Perez third, with Carlos Sainz fourth - Max Verstappen just fifth.

And some drivers simply need to set valid times now... two minutes left!

Windy conditions, a skiddy track and a newly configured corner making it very difficult for all the drivers here!

Max Verstappen had his lap time deleted!

15:01 , Kieran Jackson

Max Verstappen looked to have gone top of the leaderboard with a storming lap, but he’s gone beyond the white line at turn 5!

So, it’s Carlos Sainz first right now! Most of the field now leaving the pit lane, just waiting for the optimum track conditions.

Four minutes to go...

SQ3 underway!

14:59 , Kieran Jackson

Who will be on pole for the sprint race later?

A quickfire eight minutes now for SQ3, with all the 10 drivers going to softs.

10 drivers involved: Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, Sainz, Norris, Russell, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Ocon

First out of the pit lane? Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton is out in SQ2!

14:52 , Kieran Jackson

Nightmare for the seven-time world champion! Track limits deletes his final lap and he’s only 12th fastest!

That’ll make for a tough evening tonight for Lewis Hamilton.

Bottom-five and out in SQ2 (11-15): Gasly, Hamilton, Bottas, Lawson, Zhou

Top-3: Norris, Russell, Perez

Lewis Hamilton goes top but then....

14:46 , Kieran Jackson

Has a lap time deleted! Charles Leclerc also goes off the track and has his time deleted.

The problems of yesterday continue for a lot of the pack.

Current bottom-five (11-15): Alonso Ocon, Leclerc, Zhou, Bottas

Five mins to go...

SQ2 underway!

14:43 , Kieran Jackson

10 minutes now to find out who will be in the top-10 shootout?

SQ2 underway...

Lance Stroll out in Q1 again!

14:36 , Kieran Jackson

Hope nobody interviews Lance Stroll after qualifying again!

The Aston Martin only P16 for the sprint race later tonight!

Bottom-five and out in SQ1 (16-20): Stroll, Albon, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Sargeant

George Russell, interestingly, fastest - by a tenth of a second.

Yuki Tsunoda fuming over team radio...

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton only 11th fastest

14:32 , Kieran Jackson

The Mercedes man was quicker than P11 but had a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits a turn 12.

Final minute now, as they all line up for their final flying laps!

Current bottom-five (16-20): Stroll, Magnussen, Lawson, Zhou, Saregant

Max Verstappen quickest in SQ1 so far

14:30 , Kieran Jackson

It’s so quickfire that times are changing all the time... not least due to lap times being deleted!

Plenty of drivers falling foul of the white lines, with Max Verstappen top at the moment - a tenth clear of Lando Norris in second.

But, more importantly, current bottom-five (16-20): Magnussen, Lawson, Stroll, Sargeant, Zhou

Charles Leclerc flirting with danger in P15.

Four minutes to go..

SQ1 underway!

14:25 , Kieran Jackson

So we’re underway - on a very hot and humid day in Qatar - with the first sprint qualifying session at Lusail!

A reminder: 12 minutes where we will lose the five slowest drivers. And everyone is on medium compound tyres!

It’s mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, with softs for SQ3. No more hard tyres for SQ1 like earlier in the season.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

F1 sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix!

14:17 , Kieran Jackson

The cars have just had a 10-minute session around the track - no timings - in order to get used to the track modifications at turns 12 and 13.

And now it’s time for the sprint shootout!

What does Max Verstappen need to be world champion?

14:12 , Kieran Jackson

It’s quite simple – Verstappen only needs three more points between now and the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.

  • Recent history suggests that will come in the next race, which is the Saturday sprint race (100km dash) around the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. As a result, Verstappen only needs to finish sixth or higher – regardless of where Perez finishes – to secure his third-straight world title.

  • Though an unlikely set of circumstances, a seventh-place finish would be enough if Perez comes second, while eighth would also secure the title if Perez finishes third.

  • Verstappen could secure the world title without scoring in the points, too. If Perez finishes fourth or lower in the sprint race, Verstappen will be the champion regardless of where he finishes.

  • If Perez wins the sprint and Verstappen fails to score a point (top eight-finish), then Verstappen would still be crowned champion if he finishes eighth or higher during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.

  • Verstappen will leave Qatar as the champion if he has a points advantage of 146 points or more.

Sprint qualifying delayed at Qatar GP due to tyre safety fears

14:01 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix has been pushed back amid fears over the safety of the tyres.

The running had been due to start at 4pm local time (2pm BST), but it will be delayed by 20 minutes following revised track limits at the Lusail International Circuit.

The drivers will instead take part in an additional 10 minutes of practice at 4pm to familiarise themselves with the changes made to the track at Turns 12 and 13 prior to qualifying.

More below:

Sprint qualifying delayed at Qatar GP due to tyre safety fears

Driver Standings ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend

13:58 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 400 points

2) Sergio Perez - 223 points

3) Lewis Hamilton - 190 points

4) Fernando Alonso - 174 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 150 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 135 points

7) Lando Norris - 115 points

8) George Russell - 115 points

9) Oscar Piastri - 57 points

10) Lance Stroll - 47 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 46 points

12) Esteban Ocon - 38 points

13) Alex Albon - 21 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 6 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points

19) Liam Lawson - 2 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

22) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

13:44 , Kieran Jackson

Lance Stroll pushed his personal trainer in the Aston Martin garage and was visibly furious in his interview following qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday.

The Canadian had just been knocked out in Q1 of qualifying and will start Sunday’s grand prix in 17th place.

But as he emerged from his car in the garage, the 24-year-old walked to the back of the garage before seeming to shove his personal trainer in front of the cameras.

His anger was clear to see and was still visible in his interview afterwards.

Full story below:

Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

Max Verstappen takes pole in Qatar as he closes in on third world title

13:21 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying report

Max Verstappen took pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix as the indomitable Dutchman closes in on his third world title.

Verstappen will be crowned champion of the world if he finishes at least sixth in Saturday’s 19-lap race at the Lusail International Circuit.

And the Red Bull driver started his quest to become just the 11th driver in history to win the title on more than two occasions in typically irresistible fashion by clocking the fastest time in qualifying.

In terms of the championship mathematics, Verstappen’s pole lap for Sunday’s main event will be redundant if he secures three points in Saturday’s sprint – the starting order for which will be determined by a second qualifying session here on Saturday afternoon – or Sergio Perez fails finish inside the top three. The probability of both are high.

As Verstappen raced to top spot, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton securing second and third on the grid for Mercedes, Perez failed to make it out of Q2.

Full report below:

Max Verstappen takes pole in Qatar as he closes in on third world title

BREAKING: Sprint qualifying delayed at Qatar GP due to tyre safety fears

13:19 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix has been pushed back amid fears over the safety of the tyres.

The running had been due to start at 4pm local time (2pm BST), but it will be delayed by 20 minutes following revised track limits at the Lusail International Circuit.

The drivers will instead take part in an additional 10 minutes of practice at 4pm to familiarise themselves with the changes made to the track at Turns 12 and 13 prior to qualifying.

More below:

Sprint qualifying delayed at Qatar GP due to tyre safety fears

Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

13:15 , Kieran Jackson

Fernando Alonso has hailed Max Verstappen as Formula One’s best driver since Michael Schumacher – with the Dutchman on the brink of clinching his third world crown.

The 26-year-old needs to score only three points in Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar to complete a hat-trick of world titles.

Lewis Hamilton has won a record 103 races and stands on seven world titles with Schumacher. But Alonso, 42, omitted the British driver when asked if Verstappen must now be ranked alongside the sport’s modern-day greats.

Full quotes below:

Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’

12:58 , Kieran Jackson

Preview by Kieran Jackson

At the Lusail International Circuit, home to the second iteration this weekend of Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix, a reminder of the country’s crowning moment glows bright in the background.

The Lusail Iconic Stadium, the 88,000-capacity golden bowl which hosted last year’s World Cup final, is less than 10 miles down the road. But with the planet’s biggest show having come and gone – with its fair share of acclaim and criticism – Qatari executives are determined to move on. A new spectacle is in town.

“We are the new World Cup for the next 10 years,” boldly stated Amro Al-Hamad, CEO of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, earlier this year.

Full piece below:

How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’

Constructors’ Championship ahead of the Qatar GP weekend:

12:43 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 623 points

2) Mercedes - 305 points

3) Ferrari - 285 points

4) Aston Martin - 221 points

5) McLaren - 172 points

6) Alpine - 84 points

7) Williams - 21 points

8) Haas - 12 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 10 points

10) AlphaTauri - 5 points

Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

12:29 , Kieran Jackson

Lance Stroll pushed his personal trainer in the Aston Martin garage and was visibly furious in his interview following qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday.

The Canadian had just been knocked out in Q1 of qualifying and will start Sunday’s grand prix in 17th place.

But as he emerged from his car in the garage, the 24-year-old walked to the back of the garage before seeming to shove his personal trainer in front of the cameras.

His anger was clear to see and was still visible in his interview afterwards.

Full story below:

Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and gives furious seven-word interview in Qatar

What does Max Verstappen need to be world champion?

12:20 , Kieran Jackson

It’s quite simple – Verstappen only needs three more points between now and the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.

  • Recent history suggests that will come in the next race, which is the Saturday sprint race (100km dash) around the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. As a result, Verstappen only needs to finish sixth or higher – regardless of where Perez finishes – to secure his third-straight world title.

  • Though an unlikely set of circumstances, a seventh-place finish would be enough if Perez comes second, while eighth would also secure the title if Perez finishes third.

  • Verstappen could secure the world title without scoring in the points, too. If Perez finishes fourth or lower in the sprint race, Verstappen will be the champion regardless of where he finishes.

  • If Perez wins the sprint and Verstappen fails to score a point (top eight-finish), then Verstappen would still be crowned champion if he finishes eighth or higher during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.

  • Verstappen will leave Qatar as the champion if he has a points advantage of 146 points or more.

Driver Standings ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend

12:11 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 400 points

2) Sergio Perez - 223 points

3) Lewis Hamilton - 190 points

4) Fernando Alonso - 174 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 150 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 135 points

7) Lando Norris - 115 points

8) George Russell - 115 points

9) Oscar Piastri - 57 points

10) Lance Stroll - 47 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 46 points

12) Esteban Ocon - 38 points

13) Alex Albon - 21 points

14) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 6 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points

19) Liam Lawson - 2 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

22) Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Max Verstappen takes pole in Qatar as he closes in on third world title

12:04 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying report

Max Verstappen took pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix as the indomitable Dutchman closes in on his third world title.

Verstappen will be crowned champion of the world if he finishes at least sixth in Saturday’s 19-lap race at the Lusail International Circuit.

And the Red Bull driver started his quest to become just the 11th driver in history to win the title on more than two occasions in typically irresistible fashion by clocking the fastest time in qualifying.

In terms of the championship mathematics, Verstappen’s pole lap for Sunday’s main event will be redundant if he secures three points in Saturday’s sprint – the starting order for which will be determined by a second qualifying session here on Saturday afternoon – or Sergio Perez fails finish inside the top three. The probability of both are high.

As Verstappen raced to top spot, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton securing second and third on the grid for Mercedes, Perez failed to make it out of Q2.

Full report below:

Max Verstappen takes pole in Qatar as he closes in on third world title

F1 sprint at Qatar Grand Prix!

12:00 , Kieran Jackson

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent!

F1 is back with the fourth sprint weekend of the season as the sport returns to the Lusail International Circuit, which first held a race in 2021. Lewis Hamilton was victorious back then, but it’s all about Max Verstappen this weekend.

The Dutchman can clinch his third straight world title with a top six finish in today’s sprint race and after claiming pole last night for tomorrow’s grand prix, he is the firm favourite once again today.

The sprint shootout qualifying is at 2pm (BST), with the sprint race later on at 6:30pm!

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)