Leclerc dominates Qatar GP FP1 as Ferrari shows strong pace

Charles Leclerc demonstrated Ferrari's potential by leading F1's sole Qatar Grand Prix practice session, setting the fastest time ahead of both McLaren drivers.

The Ferrari driver posted an impressive 1m21.953s, the only time under the 1m22s mark, finishing 0.425s clear of Lando Norris.

The McLaren driver secured second place just ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri in third.

The session began with teams focusing on medium tire runs for sprint qualifying and race preparation during the first 45 minutes.

Track conditions were challenging due to dust, requiring careful management from all drivers.

Ferrari initially showed strong performance on hard tires, with Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz trading fastest times.

Sainz set a 1m23.068s before Leclerc responded with increasingly quick laps on soft tires.

McLaren demonstrated competitive pace, with Piastri initially closing to within two tenths of Leclerc's time before Norris found an extra half-tenth to claim second position.

Neither McLaren driver managed to improve on their second runs.

Notable performances came from Yuki Tsunoda in fifth and Valtteri Bottas in sixth, the latter setting the best middle sector time.

Newly crowned four-time champion Max Verstappen finished a surprising 11th after running wide at Turn 15 during his final attempt.