Qatar Grand Prix FP1 Report: Max Verstappen Hits the Ground Running in Challenging New Losail Circuit

Teams now push aside intense jet lag as they get ready for their first taste of the track at Losail. From on-boards, it looks like a fascinating circuit to drive on, but now, we will know for sure. With a small glimpse into what the Qatar Grand Prix can hold, Max Verstappen sets the marker as the Mercedes duo trailed close behind.

It had been a pleasant afternoon at the circuit as the Losail sun illuminated the tracks for the first session of the weekend; with a scorching track temperature of 43 degrees Celsius. The sandy conditions and the high downforce of the circuit made good grip the center focus- as a result, the soft boots seemed to be the star of the session.

The track limits and the search for good racing lines were a common theme of the session. Regardless, the overall feedback from drivers via team radios seemed to be positive. Happy and excited feedback of a fun track was a shared feeling, setting the tone for a fascinating weekend ahead.

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At the end of FP1, Max Verstappen took his Red Bull to the top, followed Pierre Gasly. Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton sat third and fourth; with Yuki Tsunoda rounding off the top 5.

Challenging exit curbs in Losail

The curbs proved to be a thorn in the neck for the drivers as sparks flew and floors saw the damage. Norris was a victim of the curbs’ wrath as the Brit slowly rolled into the pitlane. The McLaren’s PU bore the brunt of the white curbs but was soon back into the tub to set better lap times.

The curbs also affected Kimi Raikkonen, Pierre Gasly, and even Lewis Hamilton- Losail spared no one.

Although the only driver to face major problems in the session was Lance Stroll. To the Canadian’s dismay, the brakes on his Aston Martin failed and had to be pushed into the garage.

Red Bull draw first blood at Qatar Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton started his session with problems in his PU: “I feel massively down on power.” However, even though the problem seemed to be over for the reigning world champion, it was far from over. The Mercedes frequented the garage for long periods of time. Even with seven minutes left on the clock, Hamilton was called in for issues in the W12.

With Verstappen having strong first and last sectors, Bottas often robbed the championship leader of having the perfect lap- the Finn perfecting the middle sector of the Losail circuit. Nonetheless, Verstappen sat comfortably on the top of the sheets, soon replacing anyone who dared to outpace him.

Probably the only thing worrying for the Milton Keynes team is Sergio Perez placing behind both Mercedes. Although the pace seems to favor the Bulls on the circuit, it would be preferable to have the Mexican a little further on top.

McLaren & Ferrari tumble around the timesheets with AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo had his fun around the circuit, despite having trouble with his PU in Brazil. Despite some good pace in his MCL35M, he finished the session in P11.

His teammate too enjoyed the turns of Losail; however, Lando Norris ended the session in P10 because of the trouble later in the latter half. With the high-speed corners favoring the McLaren layout, what looked like an Orange circuit on paper, maybe true on the tracks as well.

However, the track seems to advantage Honda engines as Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda displaced the midfield leaders to make it to the top 5. Another plot-twist in the P3 battle, AlphaTauri looks determined to make it difficult for the Big Two.

The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished the session ahead of their rivals. Yet, the pace seemed to favor the Papaya cars, who often found themselves on top of the sheets. With reliability being a problem for McLaren in the last few races, will their luck be against them in Qatar as well?

As teams get to collect their first bit of data from the once blank sheet of Losail, FP2 presents a more interesting session. However, with the numbers as close as they are on the timesheets, the weekend is off to a good start.

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