Feature
What the teams said – Sprint day and Qualifying in Qatar
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Red Bull
Verstappen didn’t have the best of starts to the Sprint, dropping from sixth to ninth after getting baulked behind the Ferraris. He did well to recover to eighth, but surprisingly couldn’t close down the Haas ahead. As for Perez, he also had a bad start – but his was from the pit lane, after changing his suspension set-up overnight. He was overtaken by Colapinto before the duo even reached the race track proper, and wound up pitting for a new front wing as the team turned his Sprint into a test session.
Perez put that kerfuffle behind him to make Q3 for the first time since Austin, while Verstappen seemingly went even better by bagging his first pole since Austria. The team made some set-up changes to the cars, which paid dividends as the night time temperatures cooled off. But Verstappen was later adjudged to have driven too slowly on his out-lap and thus hampered Russell behind, and was handed a one-place grid penalty as a result.
Max Verstappen – Sprint: 8th, Qualifying: 2nd, 1:20.520
“I am very happy with how we turned it around today. The Sprint was quite shocking, we had a lot of oversteer and struggled with the balance throughout and couldn’t fight at all. We changed the car but we also surprised ourselves with the turnaround and the performance in Qualifying. It felt much better and the car felt more consistent, once we were in a better window I could drive more on the limit. I’m very pleased, it has been a while since we’ve been on Pole. I am very proud of everyone to make those changes and to be in this position. Tomorrow we are in the fight and hopefully will have a bit of fun on track as well."
Sergio Perez – Sprint: 20th, Qualifying: 9th, 1:21.425
“Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend and to understand what to do with both cars, we decided to take my car out of parc ferme for the Sprint. That was to prioritise trying some different set-ups and take learnings, it compromised our Sprint but ultimately was beneficial for Qualifying and hopefully the race. We made some good improvements, the main thing has been the tyre and the first sector was still on the difficult side, but it was a good step from where we were earlier. The pace was a lot better in Qualifying and the main thing is we found the balance. The main race is tomorrow, I am hopeful we will have good pace, we are looking better on the long runs, and I think it is coming to us. The target will be to go with the leaders and try to get through the field, I think we can be competitive. I think we have made some good progress today and that’s really positive.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal
"We changed a lot of things on the car and we have given Max a car that he has been able to go out and deliver the Pole in. That’s our first official pole since Austria, so that is fantastic for everyone and a great Team effort. Checo made similar set-up changes to Max, his were a little less aggressive and it was good to see him in Q3. It was an important qualifying for the Team and it is great to be starting form the front for the race tomorrow. Hopefully the changes we made to the car for Qualifying can play out in the race as well and we have a successful Sunday."
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Mercedes
Russell was pipped off the line by Piastri, and then spent the entire Sprint tucked up behind the McLaren, looking for a way past. He tried to divebomb him into Turn 1, but Piastri was wise to the move and Russell had to settle for P3. As for Hamilton, he made a brilliant start and looked to be in the fight after chasing Sainz hard. But his tyres lost some grip, which sent him backwards into the path of Leclerc. He lost out to his next team mate, and came home sixth.
Hamilton qualified sixth as well, but that was a marked improvement considering he was much more in the mix than he felt yesterday, while Russell looked on for pole when he went fastest on the first laps in Q3. But a mistake on his out-lap on his last run seemed to cost him, and he couldn’t quite match Verstappen in the dying moments of the session. He then inherited pole when Verstappen was adjudged to have driven unnecessarily slowly, leading to the mistake which cost Russell on his out-lap.
Lewis Hamilton – Sprint: 6th, Qualifying: 6th, 1:21.011
"It was a pretty straight forward session for us in qualifying, the car was feeling decent and we were able to fix the bouncing. The tyres and the grip of the track was feeling great, this track is amazing. My last lap in qualifying unfortunately wasn’t great, I had the car snapping away from me which meant I lost time and couldn’t improve higher than P6. I was giving it everything and was generally feeling good but didn’t improve when I crossed the line.
"Tomorrow I’m hoping for a good race, this track is great to drive so it should be an exciting race. I’m hoping the car will be in a better place tomorrow and we’ll be able to make some improvements. Unfortunately, today in the sprint all of the top Teams were really quick and it was hard to overtake but ’ll be giving it my all in the race tomorrow."
George Russell – Sprint: 3rd, Qualifying: 1st, 1:20.575
"Today has been a great day, it’s good to be in this groove at the moment with four front row starts. My first Q3 lap was really strong and I was pleased with it but unfortunately I wasn’t able to improve on my final lap. This was mainly due to the scrappy out lap I had with the near miss with Max that meant I ended up in the gravel so that didn’t help prep wise ahead of my final push lap. I’m still really pleased with P2, I’m taking all the positives and I’m feeling great in the car.
"It’s going to be exciting tomorrow as the top four teams are very close. Starting on the right side of the track does seem to have a slight disadvantage, which we saw earlier on in the Sprint Race for the majority starting on this side of the track, which meant I couldn’t fight with Lando. I’m hoping tomorrow we’ll be able to fight with Max and stay ahead of those behind us, our race pace this morning looked good and the tyres seem resilient so I’m hoping we don’t end up in another DRS train and we can have some fun. There’s a lot of possibilities to do something different, I’m looking forward to it."
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"Overall, we are happy with the results we have seen today as a Team. The car seems to function well in these conditions as we can run the car low and stiff on a smooth track which ultimately suits the characteristics of our car and George seems to like the way it drives. We’ve seen this over the last couple of qualifying sessions and races. George was performing well in Q3 but was just lacking half a tenth to secure pole against Max.
"For Lewis this generation of cars aren’t always suiting his driving style, he likes to be aggressive on corner entries and unfortunately this car at the moment can’t quite take it, especially on qualifying laps when it’s right on the edge. Lewis in the race, however, usually manages to turn it around like last week where he was overtaking car after car and coming through the pack. We’ll see what tomorrow brings and hopefully we can deliver another good result with both cars for the Team."
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McLaren
Norris led from pole and looked comfortable throughout the Sprint. He even managed to play the team game, repeatedly dropping back to ensure Piastri behind had DRS with which to defend from Russell after the Australian got the Mercedes off the line. But on the home straight just before the flag, Norris slammed on the brakes to allow Piastri through for the win – paying his team mate back for Brazil, when Piastri ceded his win to Norris.
They couldn’t maintain that form into qualifying though, pipped at the end by both Verstappen’s Red Bull and Russell’s Mercedes. Norris admitted afterwards that his lap was as good as it could be – but the others found more in their set-ups to leapfrog ahead of the McLarens.
Lando Norris – Sprint: 2nd, Qualifying: 3rd, 1:20.772
"Third isn’t the position we were hoping for after yesterday’s Sprint Quali, but it was the maximum we could do today. I’m happy with the lap but not happy with the result, we just weren’t quick enough compared to the competition.
“There’s not a lot in it between all of us, which gives me hope we can go forward tomorrow. But at the same time, there are some quick cars behind. My race pace looked good in the Sprint, but I expect a tougher race tomorrow. We’ll work hard overnight to put ourselves in the best position to challenge at the front.”
Oscar Piastri – Sprint: 1st, Qualifying: 4th, 1:20.829
"After a really strong Sprint, we maximised what we could do this afternoon. I was happy with my lap, it felt good, we just didn’t have the pace. We’re still in a good spot, and being ahead of the Ferraris is helpful in our Championship run. Thank you to the team for their work today, it’s going to be a long race tomorrow, so let’s see what we can do.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal
"We’ve had a positive day in Qatar, first securing maximum points in the Sprint with a one-two finish, and then qualifying third and fourth, which puts us in a good position for tomorrow’s race.
“The car proved trickier to drive today, probably because we needed to extract a bit more performance out of it, to try and match a competition that seemed to have made a step forward from the Sprint Qualifying. We now have to focus on generating good race pace which is going to be the decisive factor tomorrow. We want to be in the battle for victory, but we have some work to do overnight.
“Finally, I’d like to praise the collaboration between the two drivers earlier this evening. Oscar made a great start in the Sprint to take P2, and then Lando helped him keep it by dropping back to offer the DRS tow. Lando also returned the favour Oscar gave him in Brazil, proving the cohesion and unity that runs through the team, which is a fundamental factor in our quest for the Constructors’ Championship. We now must stay focused and use this teamwork to get the job done tomorrow.”
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Ferrari
Leclerc and Sainz slightly tripped over each other at the start, which gave Hamilton the opportunity to pick off the former. Sainz was under pressure from the Mercedes for the opening part of the Sprint, but Leclerc dropped off the pace. After managing his tyres, the Monegasque driver was able to overtake Hamilton midway through the Sprint, in a daring manoeuvre that lasted several corners of wheel to wheel action.
They were in the mix in qualifying too, but once again didn’t quite have the pace to match their rivals McLaren. The good news is that McLaren aren’t on the front row though, so might not bag enough points to seal the constructors’ tomorrow.
Charles Leclerc – Sprint: 5th, Qualifying: 5th, 1:20.852
"The Sprint Race confirmed that qualifying is crucial here. We had one opportunity to pass Lewis (Hamilton), but it was on the limit and one really has to take a risk to overtake on this track, especially as the DRS zone is short.
"P5 was the best we could do in qualifying. I am happy with my lap and there was just nothing more to extract from our car today. The two McLarens are right in front of us, so we will need a good race start and a solid few laps to try and pass one of them and then put pressure on the other. I am quite confident that the car will be stronger in the race, at the same time, I expect a difficult race. If we have the opportunity to show our pace in free air, we will do it."
Carlos Sainz – Sprint: 4th, Qualifying: 7th, 1:21.041
"Today has proven again that this track is complicated for us. Milliseconds have separated us from a better result and a slipstream on the last run could have helped, but overall, it is what it is. However, I think our race pace is stronger and, even though overtaking here is far from easy, I’m confident we can fight for some solid points tomorrow! The weekend is not over, we need to stay fully focused during the race and be prepared to grab any opportunity."
Fred Vasseur, Team Principal
"It was a tight qualifying in which we ended up behind our direct competitor McLaren by less than a tenth. For sure that’s a bit frustrating but now we must focus on the race.
"Unlike in today’s Sprint, in the Grand Prix, tyre degradation will be more of a factor and therefore we will be able to try and play a bit with the strategy, especially since overtaking here it’s definitely not easy unless you are able to create a good pace delta with the right choices during the race.
"I believe everything is still possible tomorrow but it will be important to be completely focused on our execution right from the start for both our drivers. Charles, Carlos and the whole team are very motivated and determined to do the best job possible. We will push until the end."
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Aston Martin
Alonso finished the Sprint where he started in P11, but he won’t have been happy to lose out to Magnussen. As for Stroll, he made up one place in the Sprint. The Spaniard went one better in qualifying by making the top 10 shootout too. He put himself under some pressure after his first run in Q3 was deleted for track limits, but he made his second lap count, out-qualified Perez and Magnussen for a very decent eighth on the grid.
Fernando Alonso – Sprint: 11th, Qualifying: 8th, 1:21.251
"I am happy we made it into Q3 in tonight's Qualifying session and the car felt better than any other session of the weekend. We couldn't make any progress in the Sprint but we made some set-up changes after this and it all seems to be working as expected. The team did a good job with this and also managing all of the traffic during a busy Qualifying session. It's a good starting position tomorrow and it's hard to overtake here, so hopefully we can translate this performance into the race."
Lance Stroll – Sprint: 13th, Qualifying: 15th, 1:21.911
"I had a big snap at Turn 1 on my final Q2 lap and lost about half a second. I don't think the tyres were in quite the right window at the start of the lap because the grip just wasn't there for me, so that was the end of my hopes of progressing to Q3. In hindsight, we should have done a much harder out lap. The car was feeling more competitive in Qualifying after a few set-up changes after the Sprint, so although it was tight out there, I think more was possible. The race is usually tougher for us given our car is quite hard on tyres, but we'll see how we go tomorrow."
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"We have been a little more competitive in Qatar and I think Fernando's P8 in Qualifying represents the maximum that we could expect. The lap was clean and tidy, and it gives us a good opportunity to compete for points tomorrow. The AMR24 has not been easy to drive, though, and it has been on a knife edge with both drivers having big snaps of oversteer. That impacted Lance's Q2 session. Let's see what tomorrow brings. The Sprint showed that it is difficult to overtake here – especially with the shorter DRS zone – and managing the tyres won't be easy. We will keep pushing to progress with both cars."
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Haas
Hulkenberg started ninth but picked off rival Gasly at the start. He also made his way past an ailing Verstappen early on to run seventh. Seventh is where he stayed, with enough straight-line speed to keep a decent gap to a chasing Verstappen late on. That result earned Haas two points, increasing their gap to Alpine in the constructors’. Add in the fact that Magnussen improved from P15 on the grid to 10th at the flag, and there is much to be optimistic about.
There was a role reversal in qualifying, as Hulkenberg went out in Q1 with the team admitting to a mix up with his last run. Magnussen flew the flag for Haas after that, making it all the way to Q3 as he chases more points to keep Haas ahead of Alpine.
Nico Hulkenberg – Sprint: 7th, Qualifying: 18th, 1:22.442
“It’s a nice feeling to get points already on a Saturday, which is not a normal, or a given for us, so we’ll definitely take them. It was a competitive race, the pace was strong and solid, and it was good to be able to keep that Red Bull behind. In qualifying there was a technical issue regarding energy management around the lap – we didn’t have full deployment. We didn’t have full energy on the push lap which is very costly around here, so that’s why we’re out in Q1. We’ll try to make progress and recover as much as possible but racing and overtaking here is very difficult. You’ve seen this morning racing is quite static, but we’ll give it our best shot tomorrow.”
Kevin Magnussen – Sprint: 10th, Qualifying: 10th, 1:21.500
“I think it was almost the best we could’ve done in the Sprint, I think we could’ve got Gasly but it was marginal. I got DRS but I think our starting position ruined any chance of scoring points, however P10 is close to that. It was good to get into Q3 in qualifying, I’m a little bit annoyed with my mistake into turn 10 as that was that, so there could have been one more position in it. I’m still pretty happy with the starting position, it’s a long way tomorrow, so hopefully we can have the pace again like we did in the Sprint and score some points. The important thing is we’ve qualified ahead of Alpine and RB – that’s the target – Gasly is right behind me starting on the clean side of the grid so it’s going to be a tight battle.”
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal
“Unfortunately, it was a mixed qualifying session, but on the positive side Kevin did a really good job getting into Q3. He was struggling yesterday a little bit, and by his own admission he said he didn’t get the best out of the car at all. He had a pretty decent Sprint and adjusted his driving a little bit, so I’m happy for Kevin. His used tyre run in Q3 was mega but on his final run on the new tyre he had a big moment and lost time, but I’m not saying it’s his fault, it looks like it’s more wind, so he was just unlucky.
“On Nico’s side, his feeling in the car wasn’t too bad but why he was out in Q1 has nothing to do with him. We were in the wrong mode on his slow lap and didn’t realize it, and that’s not acceptable as a team but we’re dealing with that as he lost half a second. He’s unfortunately P18, but we saw from the Sprint how much pace he’s got, so even though he’s P18 we’re going to try and find a way to get him into the points.
“Our Sprint performance was amazing, we were focused on beating our direct competitors, and Nico had a pretty decent start. Once Max overtook Gasly we accepted we weren’t fighting him, but Nico’s pace was strong and he stayed ahead of Max on merit, which is a huge positive. Kevin started P15 and drove aggressively for the first half of the Sprint and his pace was there also, so it was really positive this morning to get two points.”
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Alpine
Gasly started in the top eight, but a bad start from the dirty side of the grid immediately dropped him behind Hulkenberg and he wasn’t able to keep a charging Verstappen at bay in the fight for the final point. With Ocon also not scoring, Alpine saw the gap to Haas increase in the constructors’ championship.
Ocon’s day didn’t improve in qualifying, as he wound up at the bottom of the pile. Gasly nearly made it two top 10 starting slots, but he was just knocked out of qualifying late on and had to settle for P11.
Esteban Ocon – Sprint: 14th, Qualifying: 20th, 1:22.714
“It’s been another busy day here in Qatar. In the Sprint, we did all we could from seventeenth on the grid, making some overtakes to finish fourteenth at the chequered flag. In Qualifying, I felt like I did a clean lap in Q1 with no mistakes but we could not progress through the session. Of course, we will aim for a similar race start tomorrow as we did in today’s Sprint and target making up some places. We are sticking together and we will continue our hard work to be ready for the Race.”
Pierre Gasly – Sprint: 9th, Qualifying: 11th, 1:21.437
“In the end, a day of mixed feelings for us with the Sprint Race and Qualifying. It was extremely tight out there in both sessions. We gave it our all in the Sprint and, finishing ninth, just outside the points, was probably the best we could achieve. Importantly, we learnt a few things ahead of Sunday’s Race. I was not too happy with Qualifying as we missed out on Q3 by just a hundredth of a second. We definitely had the pace for the top ten but it was very fine margins out there and we probably could have done a better job in maximising our overall performance. It’s a tough track, very tricky conditions but I think we are well prepared for tomorrow’s Race. We will aim to take the fight to our rivals tomorrow and target some valuable points.”
Oliver Oakes, Team Principal
“Not the smoothest of days and after how the car has been performing over the weekend so far, we probably wanted a bit more out of today. Pierre did a great job to qualify at the front of the midfield yesterday, but we couldn’t convert that into points in the Sprint. In Qualifying, Pierre again looked competitive but struggled a bit on his final lap in Q2. Esteban did well to shoot up the order at the start of the Sprint taking four places on the opening lap. He isn’t totally comfortable in the car and we’re working with him to understand why and how to make improvements. Tomorrow is a long race, and the field is so close, so we’ll fight all the way to the end and see where we end up.”
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Kick Sauber
Zhou was the only driver to gamble on the soft tyres for the start of the Sprint. That proved a poor choice, and he was forced to pit midway through for some mediums. Bottas though showed a much more decent turn of pace, turning a P13 grid slot into P12 at the flag. It might not sound like much, but it’s a big improvement for Kick Sauber who have often been trailing the field this season.
That improvement held into qualifying, with both drivers making it through to Q2 for the first time since Spa. Zhou out-qualified Bottas in the end, and both could be in the mix for points tomorrow if they nail their strategies.
Valtteri Bottas – Sprint: 12th, Qualifying: 13th, 1:21.731
"I am quite satisfied with the team's performance today, both in the Sprint and in Qualifying. It has been some time since we have been in such a favourable position, so that is certainly positive and hopefully something we can turn into a good result. Earlier today, the Sprint itself was not particularly eventful: I made up a place at the start, but things then settled down quickly. At the very least, it gives us an indication that hanging on to the cars in front in the race should be possible. I entered Qualifying with quite some confidence: I was hoping to challenge for a place in the top ten, but I found myself less comfortable with the car's balance compared to yesterday, and this impacted my consistency throughout the session. Nevertheless, we are in a strong position as a team to fight for points tomorrow, which is the most important thing."
Zhou Guanyu – Sprint: 19th, Qualifying: 12th, 1:21.501
"Today was a very good day. In fact, I think it was my best qualifying session of the year, and I'm pleased to see once more this new floor is pushing in the right direction. Earlier in the day, we started the Sprint Race on softs to leave us more options in terms of tyre strategy for tomorrow’s race. It was obvious that the softs wouldn't work, but nevertheless, we were able to collect valuable data and information. In Qualifying, the team did a good job of providing me with a well-balanced car, which allowed me to deliver a good lap. We still have a job ahead of us: let's focus on tomorrow, give it all we have and do everything we can to score a good result."
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative
"The Qualifying session here in Doha has been one of the most demanding of the season, as the outlap has proven to be a decisive factor for performance. It required planning the correct sequence to ensure the right tyre temperatures at the start of the push laps. Our team and drivers have done an excellent job in preparing for this session, resulting in one of our best qualifying performances of the season, with both Zhou and Valtteri completing the session without any mistakes. While the margins are still extremely tight, we must welcome this result as it should provide our team with an extra motivation boost to maintain our focus for the remainder of the season. We have not given up, as evidenced by our ongoing car development efforts, including the recent upgrades to the floor and front wing. We must continue to put everything together, striving for perfect execution, and work collectively towards our important target. This morning's Sprint Race was crucial in gathering valuable data to understand the tyre graining resistance, allowing us to have a clear strategy for every tyre option available for the main race tomorrow. Overall, it has been a positive day, and we are pleased to come out of qualifying with a smile on our faces. However, our hopes are that we can carry this positive momentum into the main Grand Prix tomorrow."
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RB
Lawson did not have a good getaway, dropping from P10 way down the order. He couldn’t recover either, and nor could Tsunoda who started from closer to the back. The RB boys just didn’t have the race pace out there – so there is work to do for them ahead of tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
That pace didn’t materialise between the sessions – Lawson exiting in Q1 after falling foul of traffic late on, while Tsunoda couldn’t escape Q2. With their rivals both having cars up the road, RB’s hopes in the constructors’ could be taking a hit tomorrow.
Liam Lawson – Sprint: 16th, Qualifying: 17th, 1:22.411
“There was a bit of traffic when I started my last lap, and when the margins are hundredths of a second, it’s frustrating. My tyres weren’t quite ready, which compromised the start of my lap. I couldn’t improve on my first lap time, which has put us out of position. Tomorrow’s going to be tough, and we struggled in the Sprint today. We’ll work as hard as we can as a Team for tomorrow, and find opportunities on track.”
Yuki Tsunoda – Sprint: 17th, Qualifying: 14th, 1:21.771
“It wasn’t an easy day. In terms of performance, I think we were quite similar to yesterday. In Q1 we found traffic and we were on the edge with the lap time, but luckily we managed to get through, and after that, we had a clean Q2 where I felt I gave all with my lap. Unfortunately, it just seems we didn’t have enough pace and P14 was pretty much the maximum we could reach today. We’ll look at the data overnight from the Sprint and qualifying to try and understand where we can improve for the race. It won’t be easy tomorrow, but we’ll do as much as we can and will try to maximise everything.”
Tim Goss, Chief Technical Officer
"Friday's promising Sprint Qualifying grid position for Liam was unfortunately badly compromised on the first lap of the Sprint. A lack of grip and dirty tyres from running wide made defending position very difficult. Coupled with this the floor became badly damaged meaning there was little chance of recovering lost places. Qualifying was very tight. We couldn't repeat our performance of Friday's Sprint Qualifying performance. The combination of cooler temperatures and hard compound tyres meant tyre preparation proved to be a major feature of the session with teams trying various different combinations of preparation laps to varying success. Fundamentally the car balance remains good, and we are confident both drivers can fight for points positions in the race."
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Williams
Colapinto was involved in the thick of the action from the word go after opting for a pit lane start. He overtook a napping Perez once the lights turned green at the end of the pit lane, but couldn’t make much more headway after that. Albon also struggled, going backwards in the Sprint which means there are things to fix for the Grand Prix.
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the Qatar Sprint as Norris relinquishes win to Piastri
Things weren’t much better in qualifying, with both cars exiting at the first time of asking. Albon made a mistake on his final flying lap, while Colapinto just hasn’t managed to get to grips with this circuit yet – one he has never previously driven at.
Alex Albon – Sprint: 15th, Qualifying: 16th, 1:22.390
"We just weren’t quick enough today and we have been struggling with that all weekend. Teams like Alpine and Stake have been bringing upgrades, so we’ve just fallen a little behind. We made some good changes between the Sprint Race and Qualifying, but it wasn’t quite enough; we also got caught out a little bit with wind at the end of our Quali lap. Tomorrow we’ll try to learn and do the best job that we can but it’s not easy to overtake here so we’ll have to see what we can do."
Franco Colapinto – Sprint: 18th, Qualifying: 19th, 1:22.594
"It didn’t feel very comfortable to drive today and we struggled with the balance in Qualifying which made it very tricky for us. We changed the suspension in Parc Fermé which meant that we hadn’t had the chance to do a low fuel run in this set-up and we paid the price a little bit. We also made some changes after the Sprint Race, but maybe it wasn’t quite in the right direction. It’s a pity because the gaps were very tight, but our long run pace yesterday was strong, so we will focus on pushing tomorrow and see how it goes."
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director
"Not the result we wanted today as we struggled to find the performance needed to be competitive. Both cars were eliminated in Q1 although it was very close for Alex to move into Q2 but he had a snap and lost time in the last corner of his final lap. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow as our long run pace on Friday was competitive but it’s difficult to overtake here so it will be a hard fight to gain some places."
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Pirelli
Mario Isola, Motorsport Director
“A very busy Saturday, as always on a Sprint weekend. The short race allowed us to check the behaviour of the Medium over a long distance and, from what we have seen so far, the indications from yesterday – very limited degradation, signs of wear and graining but not to any worrying degree – would seem to have been confirmed. We saw just one driver try the Soft in the Sprint, whereas last year there was a greater variety of choices made and so it is difficult to draw any definitive conclusions, as the data comes from just the one car. The Sauber driver’s choice highlights that the C3 requires very careful management if its life is to be extended for any sort of significant stint.
"In qualifying we saw that track evolution slowed down, stabilising in the second half. More significant was the impact of the wind which gradually reduced in strength, especially in the last part. The relatively low temperatures around 18/20 °C for both air and track, led to drivers taking different approaches to the flying lap. Some went for the classic out/timed/in while others did a preparation lap and still others, Verstappen in Q3 for example, doing just one run with two cool down laps. It is worth underlining the progress in lap times, not just the 3”258 improvement on last year with the same tyres and technical regulations, but also when compared to 2021 when the cars weighed almost fifty kilos less and Hamilton’s pole for the inaugural edition of this race was a 1’20”827.
"Based on today’s data, the one-stop option is looking even stronger. It’s true that in the Sprint we saw some cars reach the limit in terms of tyre wear but it did not cause a significant drop in performance. Furthermore, the track characteristics with no really heavy braking points, makes overtaking rather complicated, especially if cars find themselves in a DRS train as we saw in the Sprints, both F1 and F2. The Medium should be the favoured choice for the start, with a pit stop to take on Hards in a window between laps 16 and 24. Those starting at the back could run the two hardest compounds the other way round, while those considering a two-stop could decide to make the most of the better performance on offer from the Soft in the very early stages and then continue with two sets of Hard or possibly, one Hard and one Medium.”
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