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Lorraine McKenna

  1. Out in SQ2

    11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

    12. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

    13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

    14. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

    15. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

    Oliver BearmanGetty Images

  2. Kimi Antonelli was in the drop zone for a brief moment but Isack Hadjar has had a lap time deleted so the Italian rookie is safe in P10.

  3. Max Verstappen climbs to third spot on the timesheets behind the two McLarens - Lando Norris quicker than Oscar Piastri. Fernando Alonso is on a flyer now and following some personal best sectors, he's up to seventh.

    Yuki Tsunoda goes fourth quickest. Good showing from the Japanese Red Bull driver.

  4. Lewis Hamilton has just spoken to Sky Sports after his SQ1 elimination and he sounds completely defeated. Any positives he can take from the weekend so far? "The weather is nice" he replies.

    Meanwhile, in the drop zone, the two Haas driver are joined by Alex Albo, Gabriel Bortoleto and Fernando Alonso.

  5. Norris jumps to the top

    Lando Norris is into the 1:20s with his first flyer on his brand new mediums and above Max Verstappen on the timesheets. Oscar Piastri and George Russell have also pumped in better times than the Dutchman, so P1 has become P4. Piastri is second, Russell is third.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  6. Verstappen quickest

    Back to the action and Max Verstappen is the early front-runner in SQ2 with a 1:21.295 from the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Lando Norris is a little further back on the pair, so let's see what the title leader can do with his opening attempt.

  7. No further investigation for the impeding incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. There were actually two flashpoints, one at Turn 16 and the other down at the first corner. Norris was vocal on the radio to his engineer after feeling blocked at Turn One, saying the Dutchman had messed up his lap.

  8. Go! Go! Go!

    We go again.

    Fresh mediums to be fitted and 10 minutes on the clock.

    SQ2 is green.

  9. News from race control: Max Verstappen has been noted for a potential impeding incident with the McLaren of Lando Norris.

    Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is making his way back to the Ferrari garage after his SQ1 knockout.

  10. Lewis Hamilton said his car "couldn't go any quicker" in that session but his final flying lap was a bit of a mess, with traffic all around him. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc wasn't high up the order either, ending SQ1 in 13th place.

    Max Verstappen was top of the timesheets from the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. Oscar Piastri was third and Lando Norris was fifth.

  11. Out in SQ1

    16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    17. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

    18. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

    19. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

    Liam LawsonGetty Images

  12. Hamilton goes P15

    Lewis Hamilton can only climb to P15 from 19th place - the seven-time world champion is in danger of being booted out in SQ1 in Qatar.

    And he's gone! It's another shocker for the Ferrari man in a qualifying session. Hamilton will start the sprint race in P18.

  13. Alonso flies to the top

    Fernando Alonso is going great guns for Aston Martin today. The Spaniard jumps above the McLaren of title contender Oscar Piastri with a time of 1:21.276 to go top of the timesheets.

  14. Hamilton P19

    George Russell crosses the line and slots into fifth on the timesheets. Down in the elimination zone, Lewis Hamilton loses more places and is now P19, with only the Alpine of Granco Colapinto behind him.

  15. Lewis Hamilton's woes continue. The seven-time world champion is in the drop zone in 16th place along with the two Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who have yet to put a lap time down in SQ1.

    Nico Hulkenberg goes into the top three but that's now top four, as Oscar Piastri goes quickest...

  16. Get Involved - your Lando nerves

    This weekend will be the ultimate test of Lando’s mental resilience. Championship pressure hits differently, and how he handles these next sessions says everything about how far he’s come. He’s shown this season that he can reset after setbacks that’s championship behaviour.

    Julian

    For Norris it is about securing the WDC, which means keeping out of trouble. If that means he wins fewer races than Piastri and Verstappen this season, it won't make him less of a champion in the record books.

    John Hellinikakis

    Lando NorrisGetty Images

  17. Verstappen beats Norris' time

    Fernando Alonso is running among the fastest cars in his Aston Martin but once again it's Max Verstappen who clocks the best time of the lot thanks to going purple around the Doha circuit. The defending champion's time is a 1:21.494, which is 0.127 seconds better off than Lando Norris.

  18. Norris to the top

    Isack Hadjar leapfrogged Max Verstappen to go quickest in his Racing Bulls car but the McLarens are out and about now, pushing their rivals down the order, as Oscar Piastri is second and title leader Lando Norris goes fasetst with a 1:21.621. Verstappen has dropped to sixth.

  19. Charles Leclerc is next to bank a quick lap and puts his Ferrari second on the board to Max Verstappen, with ther other Red Bull Yuki Tsunoda in the mix in the top five.

  20. Verstappen goes quickest

    Max Verstappen is the sprint race king, taking 13 victories since the format came in a few years ago. He won the main grand prix in Qatar last year but it was Oscar Piastri who triumphed in the shorter race, with polesitter Lando Norris finishing runner-up.

    Verstappen is purple in the opening two sectors of this Lusail circuit so will he go top of the timesheets? Yep. It's a 1:22.258 for the Dutchman.