Leclerc on top for Ferrari in Qatar GP practice

AFP | Doha

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Charles Leclerc demonstrated Ferrari’s potential for wrecking McLaren’s bid for a first title in 26 years when he topped the times ahead of Lando Norris in yesterday’s opening practice at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The determined Ferrari driver clocked a best lap in 1min 21.953sec late in the session to finish 0.4 seconds clear of nearest rival Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri who are bidding to seal McLaren’s first constructors’ championship success since 1998.

Carlos Sainz was fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll as the team’s familiarised with the circuit and conditions ahead of sprint qualifying later yesterday.

Mercedes’ George Russell, winner of last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, was eighth ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes.

Newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen was down in 11th as Red Bull failed to show the pace they will need to mount a last-gasp bid to defend their teams’ title this weekend.

His Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was 18th.

After a bright, warm sunlit day at the Losail International Circuit, the two Alpines were first out on track, but it was RB’s Yuki Tsunoda who set the early pace swapping times with Verstappen.

The champion grumbled about his helmet, which was allowing too much air to flow inside, but that did nothing to slow his progress as he trimmed the best time to 1:23.885 before Leclerc improved to 1:23.702.

After a brief off-circuit excursion, Gasly recovered to request that Alpine checked the front of his car, having clattered over a kerb at Turn 13 before Sainz endorsed Ferrari’s promising pace by going top in 1:23.068.

With 10 minutes remaining, Argentina’s Franco Colapinto led the switch to softs on his Williams to be followed by team-mate Alex Albon, who climbed to second behind Sainz, before Leclerc, on softs, went top again in 1:22.242.

Verstappen made a bid to regain control but ran wide at the penultimate corner and stayed fifth as the two McLarens joined the fray on softs to go second and third behind the Monegasque.