#QatarGP FP1: @Max33Verstappen quickest ahead of @ScuderiaFerrari duo. F1

Verstappen Qatar GP FP1 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped the time-sheets in the opening FP1 session ahead of Qualifying at the Qatar GP on this sprint format weekend as Scuderia Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc completed the top three.

On a weekend where Verstappen can secure his third-consecutive World Driver’s Championship title, posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:27.428 on the C3 red side-walled softer compounds and was 0.334 seconds quicker than second-placed Sainz with Leclerc a further 0.481 seconds adrift of the Dutchman in third.

Verstappen put on the softs in the final part of proceedings to jump FP1 long-time leader Fernando Alonso with the former, who can wrap up the championship in Saturday’s Sprint race, saw off the first attempt of Ferrari’s Leclerc as the Monegasque-driver suffered a snap of over-steer in sector one.

Sainz came close to the two-time world champion, wounding up 0.334 seconds off as Leclerc moved up to third on his second run on the softer rubber.

High winds and a sandy residue on a newly laid track surface provided for a slippery circuit, causing Sainz to say, “My dad [two-time WRC champion Carlos Sainz Sr] would be quick in these conditions”.

This ensured the earlier efforts were well off the pace compared to F1’s last visit to the Losail International Circuit in 2021, where Verstappen also topped that opening practice session with a 1:23.723. His ultimate pole time that year was a 1:20.827, which was almost seven seconds short of that benchmark at the end of FP1.

Aston Martin’s Alonso had topped the session ahead of the final 30-minutes, and his 1:27.919 effort was good enough for the Spaniard to take fourth in the order despite of the clear grip advantage of the softs around the newly laid-tarmac at the Qatar track.

This was a tenth clear of the other Red Bull RB19 entry of Sergio Perez, as the Mexican was unable to get close to his FP1-topping team-mate over the sole hour-long session.

A late improvement from Yuki Tsunoda saw the AlphaTauri driver jump up into sixth place, as the AT04 continued to show solid form after its latest introduction of an upgrade package that came in Singapore.

This put him in-front of Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg, who pushed his Ferrari-powered VF-23 racer up the pile having been one of the drivers to switch to the softer compounds towards the end of proceedings.

Mercedes’ George Russell was eighth fastest, with the Briton spending most of his early running bringing down the ultimate pace level as the circuit’s layer of dust slowly cleared by the 20 circulating cars.

Russell had brought the lap-times below the 1:30 bracket on the white-marked C1 harder tyres amid difficulties with early grip levels but did not set an effort on the softs at the end to inflate his time.

McLaren pairing Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris who rounded out the top ten.

Williams Racing duo Logan Sargeant and Alexander Albon ended Free Practice One in 11th and 12th whilst Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton came 13th in the classification.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll took 14th in the order and ahead of Alpine pairing Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly who were 15th and 16th respectively.

Alfa Romeo duo Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu placed 17th and 18th respectively as AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson and Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1221/qatar/practice-1.html

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