Oscar Piastri pipped McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in the only practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen only sixth at Lusail International Circuit.
Just five days after McLaren were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the team started the Sprint weekend in Qatar with a one-two ahead of Sprint Qualifying later on Friday. Piastri beat Norris by 0.058 seconds.
Norris, who leads the Drivers’ Championship by 24 points from Piastri and Verstappen with two rounds to go, can clinch the title on Sunday if he is at least 26 points clear in the standings.
Verstappen said he was unhappy with the drivability of his Red Bull during the hour-long session, at one point describing the RB21 as “jumping” when changing gears. He will aim to improve over the rest of the weekend; he won in Qatar last year.
Sky Sports F1’s Bernie Collins said: “Red Bull have work to do. Verstappen often complains in P1 about shifts in the car and Red Bull are generally very good at reacting to that and getting the car back out in a better position.”
The McLarens were dominant on the soft tyres but showed little pace on the hards. Piastri went quicker on his second push lap, after Norris had initially been 0.369s faster before the Australian posted a tidier lap to take top spot. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was third.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz was fourth, with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar fifth. Hadjar is expected to be confirmed as Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate in 2026. Verstappen was sixth.
Ferrari had a difficult session: Charles Leclerc was eighth and Lewis Hamilton 12th, while Mercedes were off the pace with Kimi Antonelli 10th and George Russell 14th.
Qatar GP Practice Timesheet
1) Oscar Piastri — McLaren — 1:09.975
2) Lando Norris — McLaren — +0.058
3) Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin — +0.386
4) Carlos Sainz — Williams — +0.480
5) Isack Hadjar — Racing Bulls — +0.579
6) Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +0.580
7) Alex Albon — Williams — +0.685
8) Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.744
9) Lance Stroll — Aston Martin — +0.745
10) Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +0.774
11) Nico Hulkenberg — Sauber — +0.859
12) Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.870
13) Yuki Tsunoda — Red Bull — +0.872
14) George Russell — Mercedes — +0.900
15) Oliver Bearman — Haas — +1.002
16) Gabriel Bortoleto — Sauber — +1.002
17) Esteban Ocon — Haas — +1.172
18) Pierre Gasly — Alpine — +1.500
19) Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls — +1.638
20) Franco Colapinto — Alpine — +2.605
Sky Sports F1 Qatar GP schedule
Friday November 28
– 4.05pm: F2 Qualifying
– 4.50pm: Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 5.30pm)
Saturday November 29
– 1pm: Sprint build-up
– 2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
– 3.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
– 4.15pm: F2 Sprint
– 5.15pm: Qualifying build-up
– 6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
– 8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday November 30
– 11.55am: F2 Feature
– 2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday build-up
– 4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
– 6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
– 7pm: Ted’s Notebook
Formula 1’s season-ending triple header continues with the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1.