Formula 1 in Qatar
Practice: McLaren duo faster than Verstappen
The McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris set the tone in the only Formula 1 free practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix. Piastri set the fastest time, the Australian was 0.058 seconds faster than championship leader Norris. Third place went to Aston Martin rookie Fernando Alonso (+0.386), while Max Verstappen finished sixth in the Red Bull (+0.580). Qualifying for the sprint race on Saturday (15:00) will take place on Friday evening (18:30).
In the sunset atmosphere on the Lusail International Circuit, many drivers, including Norris, Piastri and Verstappen, initially had minor problems with the set-up of their cars. Piastri snatched the best time from Norris with a second quick attempt on the fastest set of tires shortly before the end of the session, while Verstappen was satisfied with a fast lap.
Despite the underbody fiasco in Las Vegas, Norris holds all the aces in the Formula 1 season finale. The 26-year-old Briton is currently 24 points ahead of Piastri and Verstappen, and if he extends his lead by two points in Qatar, he will be guaranteed his first world championship title even before the finale in Abu Dhabi. Norris, on the other hand, is unlikely to be supported by his team-mate in the three-way championship battle. "We had a very brief discussion and the answer is no," said Piastri in the run-up.
According to Bayer, no additional strategy poker
In the race on Sunday (17.00), tire sets may remain on the cars for a maximum of 25 laps for safety reasons, which is why the drivers have to come into the pits at least twice. However, Peter Bayer, CEO of Racing Bulls, does not expect any surprises in terms of strategy. "At the end of the day, we all work with the same mathematical models. The more you specify from the outside, the more similar the strategies become. The majority of the teams will come in at relatively similar intervals and change tires," predicted the Vorarlberg native on ORF.
The day before, Bayer attended the final of the U17 World Championship between Austria and Portugal at the Khalifa International Stadium, just 30 minutes away by car. "I was really proud, and you can look forward to the future of soccer in Austria," enthused the 54-year-old. The event was superbly organized with almost 40,000 spectators in the stadium. "A great experience, an Austrian team in a World Cup final."
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