Qatar Grand Prix: Piastri leads in practice
Clear. Dry. Air +26...25°C, track +34...33°C
The round in Qatar was the second in a series of three consecutive races and the penultimate event on the 2025 calendar. The fierce fight for the title continued — everyone wanted to improve their position at the end of the season, especially since a weekend with a Saturday sprint gives two opportunities to score points. There was only one Friday practice, so the track was not empty.
Teams had long since finished developing their cars, adjusting the configuration for the desert circuit, but the stiffest compounds C1, C2 and C3 were used rarely, especially C1 — everyone put it on at the start of the session.
The Qatar circuit is used rarely; at the start of the weekend the asphalt was covered in sand and the Hard tyres lacked grip — almost everyone ran off the track. The wide run-off areas prevented consequences, but in the sprint qualifying, which will take place in a few hours, such laps will be deleted.
Verstappen complained about problems with the front-left wheel, Leclerc about the steering and poor balance, Russell about high cockpit temperatures.
Midway through the session an engineer suddenly told Tsunoda that Bottas was catching him, repeating the Finn’s surname twice. “I didn’t even know he’s racing now,” Yuki replied. The director immediately showed a surprised Valtteri watching the action in the Mercedes garages. It was amusing.
For most of the session teams worked on the Hard tyres; only in the final 15 minutes did the drivers start switching to the Soft to prepare for qualifying.
On Hards Russell was fastest — 1:22.165; on Softs speeds rose and the track got a bit cleaner — Piastri set the best time — 1:20.924.
Practice results
Driver
Team
Time
Gap
Laps
1. O. Piastri
McLaren
1:20.924
-
29
2. L. Norris
McLaren
1:20.982
+0.058
28
3. F. Alonso
Aston Martin
1:21.310
+0.386
26
4. C. Sainz
Williams
1:21.404
+0.480
20
5. A. Hadjar
Racing Bulls
1:21.503
+0.579
30
6. M. Verstappen
Red Bull
1:21.504
+0.580
27
7. A. Albon
Williams
1:21.609
+0.685
29
8. C. Leclerc
Ferrari
1:21.668
+0.744
31
9. L. Stroll
Aston Martin
1:21.669
+0.745
26
10. K. Antonelli
Mercedes
1:21.698
+0.774
32
11. N. Hülkenberg
Sauber
1:21.783
+0.859
23
12. L. Hamilton
Ferrari
1:21.794
+0.870
28
13. Y. Tsunoda
Red Bull
1:21.796
+0.872
28
14. D. Russell
Mercedes
1:21.824
+0.900
33
15. O. Berman
Haas
1:21.926
+1.002
26
16. G. Bortoleto
Sauber
1:21.926
+1.002
29
17. E. Ocon
Haas
1:22.096
+1.172
30
18. P. Gasly
Alpine
1:22.424
+1.500
25
19. L. Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:22.562
+1.638
30
20. F. Colapinto
Alpine
1:23.529
+2.605
26
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"That truly took me by surprise."
Dr. Helmut Marko has cast doubt on the unexpected decision to appoint Adrian Newey as Aston Martin's next team principal, while Fernando Alonso asserts that the renowned designer had already been acting as a de-facto leader behind the scenes. In an interview with Kleine Zeitung, Marko, a close former colleague of Newey at Red Bull, expressed his astonishment. "That truly took me by surprise," he remarked. "We'll have to see how that unfolds in practice."
Marko cautioned that the new position entails greater involvement in race weekend operations and management—an area he believes is not Newey's strongest attribute. "That is certainly not his strength," he stated. "His major strengths lie in design, car setup, and the quality of production and development. It has greatly surprised me that he will now be transitioning more toward team management."
In contrast, Alonso staunchly supported the decision, claiming that Newey had already been functioning as a leader. Speaking to AS newspaper in Qatar, he said, "He was already at the forefront of the technical development of the car and the team, pinpointing the necessary personnel and areas needing improvement. Internally, he was conducting a lot of management, while Andy was managing engine integration with the chassis."
The Spaniard emphasized the importance of Newey's leadership given the team's rapid evolution. "This team is still quite young," he remarked. "We need guidance from leaders like Adrian. We have the two most successful figures in the history of the sport—Adrian Newey and Andy Cowell."
According to Alonso, the new title merely formalizes what had already been occurring. "He was somewhat of a behind-the-scenes leader," he noted. "He would have been in charge of everything even without the official 'team principal' designation. With Cowell concentrating more on the engine, fuel, and Honda, everyone is effectively in their role."
Alonso did express hope that Newey would still have adequate time to focus on his evident strength—design. "The role of team principal is different these days—media, sponsors, commitments," he said. "I hope Adrian won’t have to take on all those responsibilities and can focus on the crucial aspects."
Christian Horner had been considered for the position before Newey's appointment, with reports suggesting that Newey even took his former Red Bull boss on a tour of the Silverstone factory last week. Ultimately, Lawrence Stroll did not extend an offer to him. "I don’t think we need any additional people in leadership," Alonso concluded. "But that’s not my responsibility."
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Qatar Grand Prix: Piastri leads in practice
Qatar Grand Prix: Piastri leads in practice