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Ahead of today’s sole practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 33 degrees, a stark contrast to last weekend.
In terms of updates, Racing Bulls have a new circuit specific Front Wing. According to the Faenza outfit an optional gurney has been created for the front wing flap, to provide additional front downforce to suit the balance requirements of the Qatar circuit.
And that’s it, no other upgrades.
The lights go green and Russell leads the way, followed by Hulkenberg, Lawson, Hadjar, Ocon and Verstappen. As more drivers emerge, hards are the overwhelming tyre of choice.
Russell posts an exploratory 34.774 before Hulkenberg posts a far more sensible 26.523.
Verstappen responds with a 25.047.
Last to emerge are the Aston Martin pair, as Albon calls for a new helmet as he is suffering “double vision”.
Russell posts a 24.790 but Sainz responds with a 24.433.
No sooner has Hulkenberg gone top with a 24.225 than Verstappen bangs in a 23.343.
“The front-left is already giving up,” reports the Dutchman as Piastri goes second (23.531), ahead of Russell, Alonso and Tsunoda.
Sainz goes second and Lawson third, while Norris goes thirteenth with a 24.132.
Quickest in the opening two sectors, Piastri crosses the line at 23.039.
“The steering feels really weird,” reports Verstappen, “I don’t know what it is.”
A 22.962 from Russell as Sainz improves to second.
“I don’t feel a thing with this power steering,” says Leclerc.
PBs in all three sectors see Antonelli go top with a 22.769, however Alonso responds with a 22.588 only for Verstappen to stop the clock at 22.372.
Tsunoda goes third with a 22.637 as Hadjar posts a 22.532 and Russell a 22.165.
As the track gradually rubbers in, the timing screen is lit up with green and purples.
Albon improves to fifth with a 22.622, as Verstappen complains about “blind idiot” Gasly.
Offs for Bearman and Leclerc.
“I cannot feel a thing, it’s really frustrating,” says Leclerc as Norris goes off at Turn 5.
PBs in all three sectors see Norris go eleventh (22.909), having previously asked “where can I find 1.6 seconds?”.
All twenty drivers continue with the hards as Hamilton takes a bumpy ride over the kerb.
It isn’t the greenness of the track that is causing the offs, but rather the wind which has clearly picked up.
With 25 minutes remaining, both Ferraris are outside the top ten.
Norris improves to fourth with a 22.544.
“Shifts have gone to pot, it feels slow and harsh,” says Verstappen. “Feels like the damping is really bad on the car,” he adds.
“You can forget about the softs,” says Leclerc, “going to crash the car… I don’t want to take the risks.”
With everyone still running the wite-banded rubber it appears the Ferrari driver is not alone in his thinking.
“This clipping out of 6 is a disaster,” reports Verstappen. “There’s no pace out of the corner.”
With 14 minutes remaining, Hadjar, Stroll, Lawson, Ocon and Bearman switch to the softs.
On the red-banded rubber Ocon improves to tenth, while his teammate goes third with a 22.394.
As Hadjar goes top with a 21.819 more and more drivers emerge on the softs.
“Mate, I have no ******* stability,” reports Lawson as Alonso goes top with a 21.562.
The strict limit on the number of laps each set of tyres can run is going to favour the likes of the Spaniard, who will be able to push to the limit.
Albon goes second (21.609), but is demoted when Norris crosses the line at 20.982. Moments later Piastri posts a 21.351.
Verstappen can only manage a 21.504, 0.522s off the pace.
Antonelli goes ninth and Leclerc eleventh as Stroll runs wide at Turn 11.
Hulkenberg improves to seventh with a 21.783.
Hadjar goes third (21.503), as Piastri goes top with a 20.924., 0.058s up on his teammate.
A 21.794 sees Hamilton improve to ninth, but is demoted when Alonso goes third with a 21.310.
Gasly runs wide at Turn 15 after carrying too much speed into the corner.
“If you see anything on the data, tell me because I cannot feel anything,” says Leclerc, who posts a 21.668 to go eighth.
Russell fails to improve after running wide in the final corner, a corner which is catching out a number of drivers.
The session ends. The session ends and Piastri is quickest, ahead of Norris, Alonso, Sainz, Hadjar, Verstappen, Albon, Leclerc, Stroll and Antonelli.
Hulkenberg is eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Tsunoda, Russell, Bearman, Bortoleto, Ocon, Gasly, Lawson and Colapinto.
A great start for the McLaren pair while others, most notably Verstappen, are clearly struggling.
However, other than the elephant n the room that is the strict limit on the number of laps each tyre set can be used for, heading into the shootout there is the fact that nobody has tried the mediums as yet, the yellow-banded rubber being mandatory in the two opening phases.
