F1 Results Today: Ferrari DOMINATE in Qatar GP Practice as Major Title Charge Launc...

Ferrari Dominates in Qatar Grand Prix Practice, Launching Major Title Charge

Ferrari made a strong statement at the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday by dominating the first practice session (FP1), with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest lap and finishing almost half a second ahead of his nearest competitors. As the Scuderia continues its push to challenge McLaren for second place in the constructors’ championship, Leclerc’s performance provided an early boost for the team.

Ferrari currently trails McLaren by 24 points in the standings, and despite not having a driver in the top two of the drivers’ championship, they aim to become the first team since the 1980s to win the constructors’ title without a top-two driver. Leclerc’s pace, coupled with a solid performance from his teammate Carlos Sainz, indicates that Ferrari is determined to close the gap as the season nears its conclusion.

Red Bull’s Struggles Continue

While Ferrari and McLaren are locked in a battle for second place, Red Bull remains mathematically in contention but faces an uphill battle. Red Bull is currently 53 points behind McLaren, and with Sergio Perez struggling to find form, their chances of remaining in the title fight are slim. Perez could only manage the 18th fastest time in FP1, continuing a difficult run of form. Meanwhile, newly crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen was surprisingly off the pace, finishing 11th in the session. If Perez and Verstappen can’t improve significantly, Red Bull is likely to drop out of the constructors’ championship race this weekend.

FP1 Results: Ferrari Leads the Pack

Ferrari’s dominance in FP1 was clear, with Charles Leclerc topping the timesheets with a lap of 1:21.953, a full 0.425 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was second. Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, was just behind in third, trailing by 0.472 seconds. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also put in a strong showing, finishing fourth and reinforcing Ferrari’s competitiveness as they look to close the gap to McLaren in the final two races of the season.

Other Notable Performances

While Ferrari and McLaren dominated the top of the timing charts, Yuki Tsunoda of VCARB put in an impressive performance to finish fifth, just over a second behind Leclerc. Valtteri Bottas also delivered a strong showing for Kick Sauber, taking sixth place, just ahead of Lance Stroll in seventh for Aston Martin.

Mercedes had a relatively quiet session compared to their recent one-two finish in Las Vegas, with George Russell finishing eighth and Lewis Hamilton in 10th. Both drivers were over a second off Leclerc’s pace, but with Mercedes having shown strong race pace in recent weeks, they’ll be hoping to bounce back in the remaining practice sessions.

Further down the grid, Alex Albon delivered another solid result for Williams, securing ninth place. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s 11th-place finish was a surprise given his dominant season, and the Red Bull driver will be looking to improve as the weekend progresses.

Sergio Perez and Red Bull’s Troubles Continue

For Sergio Perez, the struggles continue as he only managed the 18th fastest time, over two seconds off the pace. Red Bull’s hopes of staying in the constructors’ fight now largely rest on Verstappen’s ability to improve his form in the coming sessions.

As the weekend progresses, Ferrari will be looking to build on their early momentum, while McLaren aims to hold onto their slim advantage in the standings. With just two races left, the battle for second in the constructors’ championship promises to deliver excitement and drama in Qatar.