© Getty ImagesFree Practice – Qatar Grand Prix 2021Bulls on track in Qatar for the first time in Formula One history.
WelcometoQatarandafirstforFormulaOne.We’rehereattheLosailInternationalCircuitandexcitedtoputwheelsonthetrackforthefirsttimeinthesport’shistory.
The circuit was built in 2004 and became an instant hit for MotoGP fans worldwide. And the paddock is excited about seeing what this track has to offer.
The circuit was primarily designed with motorcycle racing in mind so offers a lot of fast, flowing corners with the main straight being over 1km long, providing overtaking opportunities into turn one.
The Losail International Circuit is 5.38km long and we will be completing 57 laps on race day, giving a total track length of 306.66km. There is obviously no F1 track record at the moment, so let’s see if one of the Bulls can take it…
Bulls On Track In Qatar© Getty Images
Max and Checo hit the track on Friday morning for Free Practice One to get a feel of the circuit for the first time. Checo came out straight away on hard tyres and Max joined shortly after also on the hard compound.
Max finished his stint in P1 with a time of 1:24.871. Checo returned to the pits after setting a time of 1:26.199, which saw him in P10.
Later in the session the Bulls came out on soft tyres and started shaving their times down. At the end of the session Max had completed 22 laps and was still in P1 with a best time of 1:23.723. Checo finished the session in P6 with a best time of 1:24.915 after 22 laps.
Checo Out On Softs In Free Practice© Getty Images
| Position | Driver | Team | Time | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Max Verstappen | Pierre Gasly | Valtteri Bottas | Lewis Hamilton | Yuki Tsunoda | Carlos Sainz | Charles Leclerc | Sergio Pérez | Esteban Ocon | Lando Norris |
| Red Bull Racing Honda | AlphaTauri | Mercedes | Mercedes | AlphaTauri | Ferrari | Ferrari | Red Bull Racing Honda | Alpine | McLaren |
| 1.23.723 | 1.24.160 | 1.24.194 | 1.24.509 | 1.24.648 | 1.24.713 | 1.24.790 | 1.24.915 | 1.24.972 | 1.25.215 |
The second session on Friday, Free Practice Two, was under the Losail Circuit floodlights as the sun set in Qatar.
Max finished the session in P3 with a best time of 1:23.498, just 0.350 behind P1. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas set the fastest time and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was in P2. Max completed a total of 20 laps. Checo set a best time of 1:23.787 within his 20 laps, that time saw him finish in P8.
Qatar Grand Prix 2021: Free Practice
Out On The Practice Laps© Getty Images
Max Out On Softs In Free Practice© Getty Images
Exiting At Pit Stop In Practice© Getty Images
Going Max Speed In Qatar© Getty Images
Checo Jogging His Memory At Qatar© Getty Images
The Bulls Ready For Fight In Qatar© Getty Images
| Position | Driver | Team | Time | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Pierre Gasly | Max Verstappen | Lewis Hamilton | Lando Norris | Lance Stroll | Yuki Tsunoda | Sergio Pérez | Sebastian Vettel | Carlos Sainz |
| Mercedes | AlphaTauri | Red Bull Racing Honda | Mercedes | McLaren | Aston Martin | AlphaTauri | Red Bull Racing Honda | Aston Martin | Ferrari |
| 1.23.148 | 1.23.357 | 1.23.498 | 1.23.570 | 1.23.632 | 1.23.705 | 1.23.735 | 1.23.787 | 1.24.020 | 1.24.033 |
I’ve had a lot of fun driving today, I think it’s a really cool track.
“I’ve had a lot of fun driving today, I think it’s a really cool track. FP2 was the first time we could test on the track in the evening so it was important to see how the car would react. There was quite a big change between the medium and the soft tyre for me, the soft tyre wasn’t amazing but it’s the first time here so there are a lot of things to understand. It’s difficult to say what will happen during the race with these cars, it’s tough to follow but I think over one lap it’s going to be good. Let’s see what happens this weekend, there’s still a lot of things to look at as everything is still so new.”
"I have driven this track before when I was younger and it is slowly starting to come back to me now I have been out there, I don’t feel that has put me at any advantage over others. I think we had a good start today but we have implemented some changes across the sessions and we need to review those, especially on the soft tyre. The margins are very small, hopefully we can be strong come qualifying tomorrow evening. It is an interesting place, especially from day to night, it is very different.
It is not an easy track and tomorrow we expect the wind to change so it will be interesting to see what happens. I think we have some work to do overnight, we are not entirely happy with the balance of the car, so we will look at amending that before the morning. The next representative session will be qualifying so we will try to get the best out of analysing FP2 this evening and push on positively.”
Saturday’s first session and the final practice before qualifying gave the Bulls one final chance to perfect their qualifying and race tactics.
There was an instant red flag at the start of the session when Nikita Mazepin’s Haas came to a halt at the exit of the pit lane. The car was cleared from the track quickly and the session resumed.
Checo was the first Bull on track. At the end of the session he was sitting in P5 with a best time of 1:22.846 after 14 laps.
Max did fewer laps than Checo, but was able to finish the session in P3, behind both Mercedes, with a best time of 1:22.651. He completed a total of 10 laps.
| Position | Driver | Team | Time | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Lewis Hamilton | Max Verstappen | Pierre Gasly | Sergio Pérez | Carlos Sainz | Fernando Alonso | Esteban Ocon | Charles Leclerc | Yuki Tsunoda |
| Mercedes | Mercedes | Red Bull Racing Honda | AlphaTauri | Red Bull Racing Honda | Ferrari | Alpine | Alpine | Ferrari | AlphaTauri |
| 1.22.310 | 1.22.388 | 1.22.651 | 1.22.835 | 1.22.846 | 1.23.048 | 1.23.186 | 1.23.209 | 1.23.276 | 1.23.567 |
