Five days after defending his world title in Las Vegas, Max Verstappen is back in action. During the first free practice at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, he sports a golden helmet design, complete with four stars symbolizing his four world titles. However, Verstappen’s gold and white helmet is quickly swapped for another after his initial free runs, due to excessive air flow.
In the lead up to the Grand Prix, most of the kerbs on the circuit have been lowered and gravel traps installed behind them, in an attempt to (partially) solve last year’s tyre issues. In a picturesque setting, particularly due to the setting sun, Ferrari stands out. Max Verstappen has to settle for the eleventh time, for what it’s worth.
Ferrari and McLaren are still locked in a fierce battle for the constructors’ title, while Red Bull, at a respectful distance, can still play a significant role. Against this backdrop, Ferrari has a better start to the race weekend in the desert than its competitors. Carlos Sainz, on hard tyres and with three purple sectors, clocks the fastest time at 1.23,009, followed by his teammate Charles Leclerc (1.23,419), also on the hard compound.”In the final phase of the session, as the teams switch to the fast softs, Charles Leclerc once again flies over the track. He scores the fastest time with 1.21,953. Hot on his heels are the McLarens. Lando Norris clocks the second fastest time (1.22,378), followed by teammate Oscar Piastri (1.22,425) and Sainz (1.22,982). Max Verstappen finishes with the eleventh fastest time (1.23,213). He has relatively little experience driving on softs.
The first practice session (VT1) ends without any notable incidents. However, the teams are still trying to find the right balance, which results in a significant number of excursions off the track.
The sprint qualification (Sprint Shootout) is tonight at 16:30 UTC.”
