F1 Qatar GP live: Sprint qualifying start times, schedule and FP1 results

Norris and Piastri were penalized for an illegal post-race car undercarriage, which was less than the 9 mm thickness required by FIA rules.

Skid wear is monitored so that teams do not run their cars too low to the ground for performance gains.

The stewards’ decision showed that plank-wear was 0.12 mm over the limit for Norris’ car and 0.26 mm for Piastri’s car. McLaren argued that unpredictable porpoising, when the car bounces violently up and down, limited testing opportunities due to rain on Thursday night and short practice sessions in Vegas gave them mitigating circumstances.

However, the FIA ​​acknowledged that there was no room in the rules or previous rulings for anything other than a disqualification decision.

“Lewis was there in practice and the pace was good, but starting on the 20th is not the best way to get good results,” he explained.

“For now, we’ll have to calm down. Getting out of the car and making the first comment is always a little much.”

“Two to go. We hold a healthy advantage to P2 for Qatar in the Constructors’ Championship, but are not taking anything for granted. While we gained points on our nearest rivals in Las Vegas, the weekend also showed how quickly things can change.

“As a team we performed well and are focused on doing so again in both Doha and Abu Dhabi. We have the added challenge of the sprint format this weekend and also have usage limits imposed on the tyres. It will be important to make a solid start in FP1 and have a good base to build on.

“We expect our competitors to be faster; hot conditions and fast corners have not been our strengths this year. However we are focused on our process and will try to maximize the package we have.”

championship leader lando norris They had one hand on the trophy after extending their lead to 30 points oscar piastri With a second-place finish in Vegas, race winner Verstappen finished 42 points behind the Briton.

still double disqualification blow of both mclaren The cars have pushed Verstappen back into the fight due to excessive skid plank wear. With two rounds left and 58 points in the standings, Verstappen is now level up on points with Piastri – a driver who trailed by 104 points at the start of September – and 24 points behind Norris.

German driver, seven year old son f1 world champion Michael SchumacherHe had two seasons at Haas in 2021–2022, before losing his seat after several costly accidents.

Schumacher, 26, has competed for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) this year – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans race – but Have made no secret of your desire To find a way back into F1.

However, after being overlooked for a seat at new Team Cadillac for 2026, Schumacher has turned his attention stateside and will race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Team (RLL) in IndyCar next year, after impressing in testing last month.

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

13. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

14. George Russell (Mercedes)

15. Oliver Bearman (Green)

16. Gabriel Bortoletto (Sobre)

18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

19. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:20.924

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.058

3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.386

4. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.480

5. Isak Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.579

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.580

7. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.685

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.744

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.745

10. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.774

oscar piastri takes top spot with 1:20:924, 0.058 seconds ahead of Lendo norris – who struggled for most of that session!

fernando alonso Remains in third place, Sainz remains in fourth place and Hadjar remains in fifth place.

However, Max Verstappen has work to do – he is only P6 and five-tenths off Piastri!

7-10: Albon, Leclerc, Stroll, Antonelli

Hamilton and Russell are 12th and 14th respectively.

It’s more like a McLaren!

Piastri is on top, 0.058 seconds ahead of Norris in second place. Alonso is in third place.

As the session came to an end, Verstappen dropped down to P6.