Max Verstappen topped Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in the weekend's sole practice session; Verstappen needs three points to seal a third successive drivers' title; watch Qatar GP qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 at 6pm on Friday, with build-up from 5pm
Friday 6 October 2023 17:10, UK
World champion in waiting Max Verstappen topped the sole practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix as tough conditions left plenty of uncertainty heading into qualifying later on Friday.
Red Bull's Verstappen, who needs just three more points to seal a third successive drivers' title, delivered a 1:27.428 to finish 0.3 seconds clear of Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard's Ferrari team-mate a further tenth back in third.
With Formula 1 returning to the Losail International Circuit almost two years on from Qatar's first Grand Prix in 2021, a new surface, strong winds blowing sand onto it and the setting sun made for an extremely challenging session.
Fernando Alonso was fourth, fastest among drivers who opted not to use soft tyres in the session, saving them for use later in the Sprint weekend format.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was fifth, with the Mexican needing to better the Dutchman by six points in Saturday's Sprint race to delay the Dutchman's inevitable coronation until Sunday.
George Russell was eighth, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton 13th as Mercedes opted to save soft tyres, while McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were ninth and 10th respectively as they also set their best times on the medium compound.
While Verstappen was comfortably clear of the Ferraris, the change in track conditions for qualifying, which takes place under the lights and with the surface at a significantly lower temperature, means the pecking order remains unclear.
Further uncertainty ahead of qualifying remains due to the fact that McLaren, who many expect to be Red Bull's nearest challengers this weekend, chose not to run soft tyres.
Even Verstappen, who stands on the brink of crowning his magnificent campaign, struggled early in the session as he went off track on multiple occasions.
He was far from alone, with the majority of the field struggling to stay on the circuit in amid fierce gusts of wind.
Even in the closing stages when drivers switched to softs, the lack of grip continued to pose problems as Williams Alex Albon was twice forced to abort push laps after running off track.
The state of the circuit means that track position and timing are likely to be crucial in qualifying with the surface expected to continue to improve throughout the session.
The opportunity to set a time as late as possible could prove decisive, if anyone has the raw pace to deny Verstappen a perfect start to a weekend that is set to be all about the Dutchman.
Friday October 6
Saturday October 7
Sunday October 8
Will Max Verstappen wrap up his third world championship at the first attempt at the Qatar GP? Watch every session of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1. Stream F1 and more with NOW for £21 a month for six months
