12.
3:32 p.m
New best time from George Russell in Q1
Mercedes AMG F1 Team
George Russell sets a new best time in Q1 with a 1:25.431. Verstappen, for his part, is already in the pits and Norris is also watching the final laps from the pits.
11.
3:31 p.m
Leclerc still in danger
Charles Leclerc is still in the danger zone. He currently only has 15th place. Stroll, Magnussen, Lawson, Zhou and Sargeant were eliminated shortly before the end of Q1.
9.
3:30 p.m
Pit radio Lando Norris
McLaren
Meanwhile, Lando Norris is discussing with his team whether he should even drive again. He himself sees no reason for this, but the team would like to check a few things again.
7.
15:27
Hülkenberg in fifth place
Nico Hülkenberg was also able to complete the first timed lap in Q1 and is now in fifth place in the interim standings. Canceled rounds are now the order of the day again. This means that Charles Leclerc, among others, is currently under pressure.
6.
15:26
Max Verstappen’s new best time in Q1
Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen clearly shows that he is again the big favorite for the first starting position today. With a 1:25.510, he passed Russell by a whopping eight tenths. Only eleven of the 20 drivers have a time behind their name. There are still six minutes left in Q1.
4.
3:25 p.m
The first lap times
Mercedes AMG F1 Team
The first lap times are already set. George Russell is ahead with a 1:26.359. Behind, Gasly has slotted in ahead of Norris. Verstappen is just finishing his warm-up lap.
1.
15:21
Start Sprint Shootout
The traffic lights are green and the sprint shootout in Doha has started. The first drivers are already on the track. They have twelve minutes in Q1 to move into the top 15.
3:16 p.m
Not for long
In the meantime there are only a few minutes until the Sprint Shootout finally starts. The favorite is of course Max Verstappen again, but McLaren and Mercedes as well as Fernando Alonso can also hope for a good result in the sprint line-up after the good results on Friday.
3:08 p.m
Additional training completed
The additional training is currently in its final stages. There are no official times for this, because it’s all about adjusting to the changes to the affected curves.
3:05 p.m
Track limit drama at McLaren
The track limits could be a big sticking point again today. Yesterday there were two changes after qualifying that had a significant impact on the starting grid for Sunday. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had their laps deleted, meaning they were dropped back in Q3. The anger was particularly great for Lando Norris, who had already suspected during the lap that he was outside the line and had to give up second place.
14:59
Can Verstappen be stopped?
In yesterday’s qualifying for Sunday’s race, Max Verstappen was unstoppable and for today the Dutchman is also considered the big favorite for first place on the grid for the sprint, in which Verstappen could then be crowned world champion. The Dutchman only needs three more points to complete his early title win!
14:51
Tire problems are a concern
The Sprint Shootout was actually supposed to start at 3:00 p.m., but problems with tire durability are now causing a postponement. After analysis by Pirelli on Friday, damage was discovered. In many sets the sidewall of the tread separated from the carcass. Since there is a fear of tire damage during longer stints, there are now countermeasures. The track limits were changed in the curves where the cause is suspected. This means that before the sprint shootout there is another ten-minute training session in which the drivers can test the changed route. After the sprint in the evening, the situation is assessed again. If there is no significant improvement, there will be further measures for Sunday.
2:42 p.m
Welcome!
Today is sprint day at the Formula 1 weekend in Qatar. The shootout for the evening sprint begins at 3:20 p.m.!