The stakes are higher than ever. Even though Max Verstappen has won the World Championship, the rest of the grid has plenty to race for in the penultimate fixture of the season. The Lusail Circuit has played host to plenty of action-packed races in the past, and drama seems to be brewing even before lights out this time around. A total of 17 cars have been found in violation of the maximum lap delta time during the sprint qualifying, which may result in severe consequences.

Included in that list are some of the sport’s heavyweights, such as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Both the drivers will become Ferrari teammates in 2025 and seem to be in a similar situation ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. Could they face severe repercussions for failing to follow the race director’s instructions?

Hamilton and Leclerc’s sprint qualifying could go from bad to worse

It’s been quite a season for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The Scuderia Ferrari driver has secured three wins already in 2024, finishing first in his home track of Monaco, as well as Monza and Circuit Of The Americas. Meanwhile, the seven-time world champion won in front of his fans at Silverstone and clinched a victory at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. As things stand, Leclerc is third in the driver standings, with two races to catch up to McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Hamilton is languishing in seventh place, behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell.

With the Constructors Championship on the line, Scuderia Ferrari desperately needs some good results in the final two races of the season. However, if recent developments at the Qatar Grand Prix are anything to go by, it’s not looking good for Formula 1’s most successful team. Race director Rui Marques had set a minimum lap time of 1:40.0 during the qualifying session, to ensure that cars don’t get bunched up, which may lead to accidents. However, 17 drivers were found guilty of breaching the regulation in SQ1, including all eight drivers from Scuderia Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, and McLaren.

To make matters worse, seven drivers will also undergo a different investigation for causing the same infringement in SQ2, which includes Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The ramifications could be severe and could affect the starting grid of the sprint race as well as the championship standings. With just 24 points separating McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari in the constructors standings, a penalty could affect the title hopes for either team while grid drops are also within the realm of possibility. Could this pave the way for Red Bull Racing to make a sensational comeback and clinch the Constructors Championship?

However, there is also a possibility that the FIA may just slap them on the wrist. With the number of drivers involved in the alleged violations of the maximum lap delta time, Formula 1 will be keen to avoid controversy, especially in the penultimate race of the season. Penalizing the majority of the grid is not in Formula 1’s best interest, especially when the stakes are higher than ever. Given the circumstances, it will be interesting to see how the FIA manages such a critical situation, which may make or break a team’s season.

Lewis Hamilton speaks out after Qatar GP qualifying

Lewis Hamilton hasn’t had the best time in qualifying this year. The veteran racing driver struggled in the Qatar sprint and will start the penultimate race of the season in seventh place. Meanwhile, his teammate George Russell will line up second, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who is in the midst of a Constructors Championship battle with Scuderia Ferrari. Hamilton, who has only two more races with Mercedes before switching to the Italian manufacturer is determined to end his season on a high, even though the odds are stacked against him.

Reflecting on his qualifying session, a dejected Lewis Hamilton said, “Same as every other qualifying, not that great. I’m just slow. Same every weekend. Car felt relatively decent. You know, no issues. Not really much more to say. The long run didn’t feel too bad, but when you’re always back where I am, it makes it very hard to be competing. Well, almost impossible, pretty much, to be competing for wins from there. But that’s the Sprint. I’ll do what I can tomorrow.”

The 39-year-old has been consistently outpaced by his teammate George Russell this year, with the head-to-head gulf between the two being 17-5 in the 26-year-old’s favor. Meanwhile, Leclerc was also disappointed with his performance during Sprint qualifying, going on to say, “When you give it all and end up only P4 and P5, it’s not great, especially with how important this weekend is for us.” With Ferrari on the verge of winning its first Constructors Championship since 2008, the Monegasque racing driver will hope for a significant improvement in performance at the Qatar Grand Prix.