presented by
2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1931 1930 1929 1927 1925 1923 1922 1921 1914 1913 1912
Qatar GP
Bahrain GP Saudi Arabian GP Australian GP Azerbaijan GP Miami GP Emilia Romagna GP Monaco GP Spanish GP Canadian GP Austrian GP British GP Hungarian GP Belgian GP Dutch GP Italian GP Singapore GP Japanese GP
Qatar GP
United States GP Mexico City GP Brazilian GP Las Vegas GP Abu Dhabi GP
2023 Formula 1 Qatar GP
Oct 5, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023
| Losail International Circuit, QA
Overview Live Commentary Results News Videos
Live text
Formula 1 Qatar GP
F1 Qatar GP Live Commentary and Updates – Sprint Quali & Race
Saturday's action from the 17th round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
Live
Chat
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
View more Show Less
Live Text
Sort by Oldest first Newest first
12:43:17 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Meanwhile, Sainz is worried about a misfire issue in his Ferrari, which he instructs the team to fix or else he will lose third position. The team believes it was a surge issue and considers changing a setting.
12:42:48 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Alonso actually lost a place on that restart skirmish. After going wheel to wheel with Norris, he was then ambushed by Ocon who pulls off a superb move around the outside.
12:41:28 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The American's run of difficult races continues, and this certainly won't help his cause to keep his seat for next year - with the team pledging it will make its decision only at the end of the season. It certainly will help the soft tyre runners however, as they will get to once again cool their rubber.
Safety car
12:40:39 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
But we're back to safety car again as Sargeant as spun his Williams into the boonies.
12:39:49 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Immediately Alonso pressurises Norris and the two go wheel-to-wheel, but as the Brit holds on the other McLaren loses the lead as Piastri goes wide and cedes position to Russell.
Green flag
12:38:49 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
As we begin lap three we're back to racing!
12:38:31 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Sainz ran very wide into Turn 3, which allowed Leclerc alongside him into Turn 4 but the Singapore GP winner ran his team-mate wide over the kerbs to firmly keep hold of his position.
12:37:38 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Lawson is out of the car after his visit to the gravel. The replays show his car simply swapped ends on him, a tankslapper spitting him into the gravel.
12:37:11 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The soft tyres certainly had their desired effect at the start for Russell and the Ferraris then, with Sainz briefly going three-wide with Russell and Norris into Turn 1. Norris then was mugged into Turn 2 by Verstappen, as the Ferraris scrapped tooth and nail ahead.
Safety car
12:35:09 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Norris and Verstappen were swamped off the line, and there's mayhem further back as Lawson goes off, bringing out the safety car.
12:34:35 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
We're go in Qatar and it's a great start for Piastri as he leads from the soft-shod Russell and Sainz.
12:32:47 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Remember, the distance is 19 laps and there are no mandatory pitstops in the sprint race. Piastri, Norris and Verstappen are all on medium tyres. Who will get to the flag first? Nearly time to find out.
12:30:56 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
On the tyre front, Russell, Sainz and Leclerc all opt for softs, as do Alonso, Ocon, Gasly, Stroll and Sargeant. Will the gamble pay off?
12:29:49 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Engines are fired on the grid as the formation lap is about to begin.
12:28:18 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Amid all the talk about tyres, Pirelli is expected to be announced next week as F1's tyre supplier until 2028 after successfully fending off a challenge from Bridgestone: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/new-pirelli-f1-tyre-deal-to-be-announced-next-week/10530001/
12:27:05 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Will this be the race we see Max Verstappen match the world championship tally of Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Nicki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna? Remember, he only needs to finish sixth to be crowned for a third time and become the first driver ever to become champion following a sprint race.
12:25:13 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Just five minutes to go until we're racing in Qatar.
12:24:11 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
As drivers clamber into their cockpits, we await to see what tyre compounds they will have chosen. In this heat, you'd anticipate a soft would be a stretch.
12:23:15 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
In what could be his last F1 race weekend for a little while, with Daniel Ricciardo expected back soon, Liam Lawson lines up 14th for AlphaTauri ahead of Zhou Guanyu and Lance Stroll. Alex Albon, Yuki Tsunoda, Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant round out the grid.
12:21:37 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton won the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix in 2021, but he'll face a tough ask to get among the sharp end in the sprint from 12th after he too fell victim to a track limits infringement. At least the Mercedes racer has got a crumb of familiarity from 2021 to hold onto tonight, as his old team-mate Bottas starts alongside him for Alfa Romeo.
12:20:30 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Behind the all-McLaren front row of Piastri and Norris, Verstappen and Russell share row two ahead of the Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc. Then it's Hulkenberg, who beats Perez to seventh, while Alonso was a high profile victim of track limits in qualifying and will start ninth ahead of Alpine team-mates Ocon and Gasly.
12:18:44 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Drivers are starting to get their helmets on as we build up towards the sprint race getting going.
12:17:42 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
For those weather fans among you, air temperatures are 31.9 °C while track temperatures stand at 36.0 °C. Chance of rain, as you'd expect, is non-existent.
12:16:45 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Now that we've got all of that preamble about tyres out of the way, who do we think will be making an impression in the sprint? At least after all of the talk about track limits during qualifying (which saw both McLarens docked their best times in Q3) and the sprint shootout, the focus on that will be reduced somewhat. We daren't say completely though...
12:15:14 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
F1 has been in something of a luxury position in recent times where it hasn't had to worry too much about tyres becoming a source of problems, as it was infamously during the build-up to the 2005 US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Here's how Pirelli discovered F1's biggest tyre drama since that fateful day when just six cars took the start: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/how-pirelli-discovered-f1s-biggest-tyre-drama-since-the-2005-us-gp/10529831/
12:13:42 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Pirelli has stated that the tyre separation problems only showed up under microscopic examination. The issue has only shown up in tyres that have completed more than 20 laps, so motorsport boss Mario Isola has said he is confident there will be no issues for the 19-lap sprint race.
12:12:34 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
As a result, track limits at Turns 12-13 were revised and an extra 10-minute familiarisation session was held earlier today just before sprint shootout qualifying to allow drivers to get used to the new policing. Here are the key questions surrounding F1's Qatar GP tyre drama: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/the-key-questions-surrounding-f1s-qatar-gp-tyre-drama/10529978/
12:11:07 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
It was discovered by F1's tyre supplier that sidewalls were being damaged against the kerbs, with a statement issued by the FIA suggesting that this problem could lead to air loss if the tyres were used too much. It is thought that the problem was triggered by new kerbs introduced for this weekend which were not present for the last running of the Qatar GP in 2021.
12:09:36 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The cars are lined up on the grid under the floodlights in Losail. We've got this far without mentioning tyres, but they could prove a factor in the race after a bombshell announcement earlier from Pirelli.
12:08:13 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Will that knowledge impact at all the way Verstappen races this evening? Somehow, we doubt that very much. McLaren certainly can't count on Verstappen switching to cruise and collect mode.
12:06:31 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Of course, for either to win, it will mean they have to get the better of champion elect Max Verstappen. The Red Bull man starts third, with George Russell alongside. Just three points from the sprint race (which means finishing sixth or higher) will secure Verstappen his third world title.
12:05:11 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Neither Norris, nor Piastri has ever won a race in F1 before. But if either wins the sprint today, it won't actually register on the official wins tally. Norris has finished second on five occasions, while Piastri scored his first F1 podium with third last time out at Suzuka.
12:03:31 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
McLaren's superb qualifying show has raised the prospect of one of the papaya cars crossing the finish line first for the first time since Monza 2021, when Daniel Ricciardo enjoyed comfortably his best day with the Woking team. In case you'd forgotten, that was on a sprint race weekend too.
12:02:08 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Australian rookie will be joined on the front row by Lando Norris in a McLaren front row lockout. We believe the last time that happened was at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, won by Jenson Button. Piastri was just 11 on that bonkers day in Interlagos when Sebastian Vettel claimed his third world title.
12:00:49 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Welcome back to Autosport's live text commentary of track action from Qatar. We're half an hour away from the start of the sprint race, with Oscar Piastri on pole.
09:25:45 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
With that, we'll take a break ahead of the Qatar sprint race which, all things being well, will start at 6:30pm BST. We'll be back for the pre-sprint build-up and the potential crowning of the 2023 F1 world champion. Go well!
Breaking news
09:20:45 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Here's the full Qatar GP sprint qualifying report: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-qatar-gp-piastri-beats-norris-to-sprint-pole-as-mclaren-sweeps-shootout/10529898/
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60
Photo by: Mark Sutton
09:20:04 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
09:17:26 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
That is McLaren's first front row lockout in F1 since the 2012 Brazilian GP. Granted, it is just for the sprint race rather than the full-fat grand prix, but let's ignore technicalities for the time being.
09:14:44 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Behind the top three, Russell beats both Ferraris to fourth, with Hulkenberg an impressive seventh for Haas ahead of Perez, Alonso and Ocon. In fact, neither Alonso or Ocon technically set a lap time in Q3 due to track limit woes.
Pagination
1
2
3
...
4
By: Autosport Staff
Published: Oct 7, 2023, 5:43 PM
Lap:
Copy link
Share on Viber