Piastri Leads McLaren 1-2 in Only Qatar F1 Practice, Verstappen Sixth

Oscar Piastri led a McLaren 1-2 ahead of teammate Lando Norris in the sole practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix, showcasing strong pace from the Woking team. Championship leader Max Verstappen finished a surprising sixth, half a second off Piastri's pace, after complaining of energy recovery issues.

Why it matters:

This single practice session is crucial as it sets the tone for a sprint weekend. McLaren's dominant performance, particularly on soft tires, suggests they could be strong contenders for pole position in sprint qualifying and potentially challenge for the sprint race win. For Verstappen, finishing sixth in the only practice session highlights a rare moment of vulnerability, though Red Bull often holds back pace in practice.

The details:

• McLaren's Pace: After being in the middle of the pack on hard tires, Piastri and Norris significantly improved on soft tires in the final 10 minutes. Piastri ultimately topped the session with a 1m20.924s, just 0.058s ahead of Norris.
• Verstappen's Struggles: Max Verstappen, who was second before the soft tire runs, dropped to sixth. He reported "disaster clipping" through Turn 6, indicating an issue with his energy recovery system, which could have significantly impacted his lap time.
• Top 10: Fernando Alonso secured third for Aston Martin, followed by Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls). Alex Albon (Williams), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) completed the top ten.
• Sprint Format Impact: Being a sprint weekend, this was the only practice session. Teams had limited time to gather data and optimize setups, making McLaren's immediate soft-tire pace particularly impressive.

The big picture:

McLaren's consistent strong form since the mid-season, particularly in qualifying, continues to put pressure on rivals. Their performance in Qatar practice suggests they have a well-balanced car that can extract performance quickly. For Red Bull, despite Verstappen's issues, they typically find pace when it truly matters. However, any technical glitch, even minor, could be amplified in a sprint format with limited time for fixes.

What's next:

Teams will now head directly into sprint qualifying. McLaren's strong showing positions them as clear favorites for the front row, while Red Bull will need to swiftly address Verstappen's ERS issues to ensure he's competitive. The intensity of a sprint weekend means there's little room for error, and today's practice has already set the stage for an intriguing battle.