Oscar Piastri led a strong McLaren 1-2 during the only practice session on Friday for the Qatar Grand Prix. Although both McLaren drivers faced a challenging start, they revealed their true speed on the soft tires. Initially, Lando Norris had a 0.3-second lead over his teammate, but Piastri improved on his second run, posting a faster time with an excellent final sector. Norris also performed well on his second lap but made an error in the last sector.
With just two races left in the season, Norris leads Piastri by 24 points, putting him in position to potentially clinch the title this weekend and become McLaren’s first world champion since 2008. Notably, Piastri has not outperformed Norris in a race where both finished since the Belgian Grand Prix in July, and currently, he is tied in points with Max Verstappen.
Verstappen stayed in sixth position and expressed dissatisfaction with his RB21’s handling over team radio. To compete against the McLarens, Verstappen will need considerable improvements for sprint qualifying. Fernando Alonso was McLaren’s nearest competitor, finishing third fastest, followed by Isaac Hajar and Carlos Sainz completing the top five.
Alex Albon secured top-seven finishes for both Williams cars, marking a strong session for the team. Charles Leclerc led Ferrari in eighth place but commented on the lack of feel in his car. Lance Stroll and Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top 10 in the opening practice.
Practice 1 results summary:
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:20.924
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:20.982
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:21.310
4. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:21.404
5. Isaac Hajar (Racing Bulls) – 1:21.503
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:21.504
7. Alex Albon (Williams) – 1:21.609
8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:21.668
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1:21.669
10. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:21.698
Fan Take: McLaren’s impressive pace in Qatar signals a potential shift in F1’s power dynamics, with both Norris and Piastri showing championship-level speed. Racing fans should be excited, as this battle between teammates could deliver thrilling moments and possibly crown a new world champion, marking a landmark achievement for McLaren.
