Lewis Hamilton endured an awful Friday night at the Qatar Grand Prix as the seven-time champion was eliminated in SQ1 and will start the Sprint race from 18th position
Lewis Hamilton cannot wait for the end of this Formula 1 season. It has been a thoroughly dismal first campaign behind the wheel of a Ferrari and it seems set to conclude on another low note, following yet another premature exit in a qualifying session – this time for the Sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton found himself languishing in the bottom five at the start of his final run in SQ1 on Friday night. At any other stage in his career, it would have been a given that he would pull something out of the bag to lift himself out of danger, but that is no longer a certainty as he continues to struggle to get to grips with his Ferrari car.
His last attempt was lacklustre, barely lifting him above the elimination zone, before Kimi Antonelli did what his far more seasoned rival should have done and rocketed up the order, sealing the fate of the seven-time champion in the process.
Hamilton could only manage to qualify in 18th place, while team-mate Charles Leclerc breezed into SQ3 but then only managed to clock the ninth fastest time on another humbling day for Ferrari. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri clinched pole position for the Sprint with a timely performance, showing championship leader Lando Norris that he will not give up the title race without a fight.
George Russell managed to separate the two McLaren cars, with Piastri hoping the Mercedes driver can remain ahead of Norris as every point proves crucial in these final two race weekends of the campaign. The other championship challenger, Max Verstappen, could only secure sixth position on the grid and was surprisingly outpaced by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Piastri said: “It has been a day where things have clicked from the start. I’m happy with the result – a few things to tidy up but it is nice to be able to say that starting from pole. It is only the Sprint, but I’ll take what I can get. The pace was there all day, hopefully we can keep that going.”
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And Norris added: “The pace was there, but I made a mistake on the last corner on my first lap and didn’t put it together. I’d be stupid not to try to win – I’m here to try to win, so I’ll see what I can find overnight. But it’s impossible to overtake so I’ll probably finish P3. If I can get George off the line, then that’s probably the most I can hope for.”
Fernando Alonso also impressed in the Aston Martin by securing fourth place, whilst new team principal Adrian Newey observed from the pit wall. Williams celebrated getting both drivers into SQ3 with Carlos Sainz eighth, two positions clear of team-mate Alex Albon – though both finished behind Antonelli who claimed seventh fastest.
Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying result
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren
- George Russell – Mercedes
- Lando Norris – McLaren
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
- Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
- Carlos Sainz – Williams
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
- Alex Albon – Williams
- Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls
- Oliver Bearman – Haas
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber
- Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber
- Esteban Ocon – Haas
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
- Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine
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