Qatar Grand Prix FP1 Report: Max Verstappen Hits the Ground Running in Challenging New Losail Circuit

Teams now push aside intense jet lag as they get ready for their first taste of the track at Losail. From on-boards, it looks like a fascinating circuit to drive on, but now, we will know for sure. With a small glimpse into what the Qatar Grand Prix can hold, Max Verstappen sets the marker as the Mercedes duo trailed close behind.

It had been a pleasant afternoon at the circuit as the Losail sun illuminated the tracks for the first session of the weekend. With a scorching track temperature of 43 degrees Celsius. The sandy conditions and the high downforce of the circuit made good grip the center focus- as a result, the soft boots seemed to be the star of the session.

The track limits and the search for good racing lines were a common theme of the session. Regardless, the overall feedback from drivers via team radios seemed to be positive. Happy and excited feedback of a fun track was a shared feeling, setting the tone for a fascinating weekend ahead.

Top 5 after FP1 looks like: Max Verstappen, followed Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda rounding off the top 5.

Read more: “Show Your True Face” – Max Verstappen Calls Out Mercedes F1 After Brazilian GP Saga

Challenging exit curbs in Losail

The curbs proved to be a thorn in the neck for the drivers as sparks flew and floors saw the damage. Norris was a victim of the curbs’ wrath as the Brit slowly rolled into the pitlane. The McLaren’s PU bore the brunt of the white curbs; but was soon back into the tub to set better lap times.

The curbs also affected Kimi Raikkonen, Pierre Gasly and even Lewis Hamilton- no one was spared at Losail.

It looks like Lance Stroll’s FP1 could be over prematurely in Qatar

Aston Martin reporting hydraulic issues for Stroll as he returns to the garage

Less than 15 minutes left in the session #QatarGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/flHh5swHp2

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2021

Although the only driver to face major problems in the session was Lance Stroll. To the Canadian’s dismay, the brakes on his Aston Martin failed and had to be pushed into the garage.

Mercedes and Red Bull

Lewis Hamilton started his session with problems in his PU: “I feel massively down on power.” However, even though the problem seemed to be over for the reigning world champion, it was far from over. The Mercedes frequented the garage for long periods of time. With seven minutes left on the clock, Hamilton was called in for issues in the W12.

With Verstappen having strong first and last sectors, Bottas often robbed the championship leader of having the perfect lap- the Finn perfecting the middle sector of the Losail circuit. Nonetheless, Verstappen sat comfortably on the top of the sheets, soon replacing anyone who dared to outpace him.

Probably the only thing worrying for the Milton Keynes team is Sergio Perez placing behind both Mercedes. Although the pace seems to favor the Bulls on the circuit, it would be preferable to have the Mexican a little further on top.

McLaren and Ferrari

Daniel Ricciardo had his fun around the circuit, despite having trouble with his PU in Brazil. With some good pace in his MCL35M, he finished the session in P11.

His teammate too enjoyed the turns of Losail; Lando Norris ended the session in P10 because of the trouble later in the session. With the high-speed corners favoring the McLaren layout, what looked like an Orange circuit on paper, maybe true on the tracks as well.

The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished the session ahead of their rivals. Yet, the pace seemed to favor the Papaya cars, who often found themselves on top of the sheets.

As teams get to collect their first bit of data from the once blank sheet of Losail, FP2 presents a more interesting session. However, with the numbers as close as they are on the timesheets, the weekend is off to a good start.

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