Verstappen won the title at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, Hamilton won the first F1 race at Lusail Circuit in 2021 and Alonso scored his first podium in over seven years in the first race at the track. Here’s everything you need to know about each driver’s history at the Qatar Grand Prix!
🇳🇱 Max VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen set the second fastest time in qualifying for the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix but was demoted to seventh on the grid after ignoring a yellow flag in Q3. Nevertheless, he made the positions back up in the race and set the fastest lap on his way to a second place finish.
Verstappen’s status as a three-time World Champion was confirmed over the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix weekend when team-mate Sergio Perez crashed out of the Saturday Sprint race. Verstappen finished as runner-up in the Sprint event and won the main Grand Prix from pole position, leading every lap of the race. He’s the only driver to record multiple podium finishes so far in Qatar Grand Prix history.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 2 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| 2023 | WON | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
🇲🇽 Sergio PEREZ
Sergio Perez was one of only two drivers on the 2021 grid (the other being Nikita Mazepin) to have had previous racing experience at Lusail Circuit before the first F1 race there in 2021. Perez raced at the circuit in the GP2 Asia Series in 2009, winning the Sprint Race.
At the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, Perez was eliminated in Q2, narrowly missing out on Q3 by qualifying in 11th place. The Mexican made up seven positions over the course of the race, finishing just off the podium in fourth place.
Perez scored points again in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, despite being eliminated in Q2 once more at the track. After qualifying 13th, Perez started from the pit lane and made up positions over the course of the Grand Prix to finish tenth, scoring a single point.
Perez had a Saturday to forget at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, crashing out of the race in a collision with Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg.
SERGIO PEREZ’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 11 | 11 | 4 | 7 |
| 2023 | LOST | 13 | PIT | 10 | 10 |
🇬🇧 Lewis HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix never really looked in doubt. Leading the field away from pole position, Hamilton led all 57 laps of the race. His victory here made him the first driver to have won at 30 different circuits in his Formula 1 career.
After being eliminated in SQ2 in the Sprint Shootout, Hamilton enjoyed a wheel-to-wheel battle with old rival Fernando Alonso during the Sprint to finish fifth in the Saturday race. There would be no such battles in the Grand Prix itself. Starting third, Hamilton tangled with his team-mate at Turn 1 and was out of the race just metres from where it had begun.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | LOST | 3 | 3 | DNF | – |
🇬🇧 George RUSSELL
With Williams in 2021, George Russell made it through to Q2 and qualified in 15th place. He finished the race only 17th following a late race puncture.
Russell started alongside Max Verstappen on the front row at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix but instead of fighting with the Red Bull, he found himself making contact with team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Turn 1, eliminating Hamilton from the Grand Prix. The contact meant Russell needed to pit at the end of the first lap, dropping him to the rear of the field. He went on to pull off a fine comeback drive, finishing the race in fourth place.
After making up places from fourth on the grid for Saturday’s Sprint, Russell took the lead of the shorter race from Oscar Piastri on Lap 3. However, wear on his softer tyres meant he was unable to maintain the pace and slipped back to fourth by the end of the shorter Sprint event.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 15 | 15 | 17 | -2 |
| 2023 | WON | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
🇲🇨 Charles LECLERC
A cracked chassis prevented Charles Leclerc from progressing any further than Q2 on Saturday at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. He qualified 13th for the race and made progress on Sunday to pick up a handful of points with an eighth place finish.
Leclerc maintained his 100% points-scoring record at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023, this time finishing in the top five. However, the Ferrari driver did not score in the Sprint event. He started the Saturday race from sixth and finished seventh on the road but was demoted to only 12th in the final order after picking up a time penalty for exceeding track limits.
CHARLES LECLERC’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 13 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| 2023 | WON | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
🇪🇸 Carlos SAINZ
While his team-mate was unable to reach Q3, Carlos Sainz qualified in seventh place for the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. That later became fifth on the grid thanks to grid penalties for Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Sainz lost two positions over the course of the race and finished in seventh.
In 2023, it was Sainz who was the Ferrari driver to miss out on Q3 at the Qatar Grand Prix. Sainz was due to line up 12th on the grid but a fuel leak prevented him from starting the race.
CARLOS SAINZ’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 7 | 5 | 7 | -2 |
| 2023 | LOST | 12 | 12 | DNS | – |
🇬🇧 Lando NORRIS
Qualifying in sixth place – way ahead of his team-mate – Lando Norris was bumped up to fourth on the final grid following penalties for other drivers at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. A well-executed stint on soft tyres put him in contention for a top five finish, until a puncture undid his hard work and he finished ninth.
Norris set the second fastest lap time in qualifying for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix but lost his lap time and started tenth having exceeded track limits. The speedy McLaren package aided Norris in gaining seven positions over the course of the race and finishing on the podium in third place, just behind his team-mate.
Norris was in contention for pole in the Sprint Shootout but a mistake at the final corner saw him start second, alongside his team-mate on the front row. He lost places at the start of the Sprint but his medium tyres helped him to come back through the pack in the latter stages of the Saturday race. He finished in the top three, in third place.
LANDO NORRIS’ QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 6 | 4 | 9 | -5 |
| 2023 | LOST | 10 | 10 | 3 | 7 |
🇦🇺 Oscar PIASTRI
Prior to his rookie Formula 1 season, Oscar Piastri had previous driven Alpine’s 2021 car at the Lusail Circuit during a two-day test in May 2022. Piastri set the fourth fastest lap time in qualifying for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix but dropped down the order on the final grid as a result of exceeding track limits.
Piastri secured pole position for the Sprint at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix and, despite losing the lead in the opening laps, the rookie was on the right tyre strategy to take back the lead and win the Saturday race.
The Australian went on to finish as runner-up to newly-crowned World Champion Max Verstappen in Sunday’s main Grand Prix, finishing one place ahead of his McLaren team-mate.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | WON | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
🇪🇸 Fernando ALONSO
Fernando Alonso recorded his first podium finish in over seven years at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix – a new record for the most number of races between two podium finishes. Alonso qualified in fifth place for the race but moved up to third on the grid as a result of grid penalties.
The Spaniard passed front row starter Pierre Gasly at the start of the race and despite faster cars starting behind him, and increasing pressure from Sergio Perez towards the end of the race, Alonso held on to finish in the top three.
Despite a few off track moments, which included an excursion through the gravel, Alonso continued his points-scoring ways at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, finishing eighth in the Sprint event and sixth in the Grand Prix itself.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | WON | 4 | 4 | 6 | -2 |
🇨🇦 Lance STROLL
While Aston Martin team-mate Sebastian Vettel reached Q3 at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, Lance Stroll was eliminated in Q2 and qualified in 12th place. Stroll was able to make up positions through the race – including on his team-mate – and finished the race an impressive sixth. It was his best result of the 2021 season.
Stroll was out in Q1 for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix and was clearly unhappy with the result, as the World Feed cameras picked up the Canadian shoving an Aston Martin team member in the garage at the conclusion of the session. Starting 16th, Stroll gained places in the race but missed out on points. He had finished ninth on the road but two five-second time penalties dropped him to 11th in the final classification.
LANCE STROLL’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| 2023 | LOST | 17 | 16 | 11 | 5 |
🇫🇷 Esteban OCON
Esteban Ocon qualified four positions behind Alpine team-mate Fernando Alonso at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. Reaching Q3, Ocon qualified ninth. He made up four positions by making the most of a one-stop strategy to finish in fifth place.
On Saturday at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, Ocon crashed out of the race in a collision with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. Nevertheless, after reaching Q3 again at the circuit, Ocon maintained his 100% points-scoring rate at the track with a seventh place finish in the main Grand Prix.
ESTEBAN OCON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 2023 | LOST | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
🇫🇷 Pierre GASLY
Pierre Gasly recorded the first front row start of his Formula 1 career at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. After setting the fourth fastest qualifying time, Gasly moved up the grid thanks to penalties for Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. The AlphaTauri did not have good race pace, however, and the Frenchman was unable to finish in the points. He came home 11th.
Gasly reached Q3 again at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix and once again failed to convert it into a points-paying finish. Starting seventh, he lost five places over the course of the race to finish 12th.
PIERRE GASLY’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | WON | 4 | 2 | 11 | -9 |
| 2023 | WON | 7 | 7 | 12 | -5 |
🇹🇭 Alex ALBON
Alex Albon was not on the grid when Formula 1 staged the first Qatar Grand Prix in 2021. Having never previously driven at the track, Albon made his first outing at Lusail Circuit at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Albon finished the Grand Prix where he started, in 13th place. He scored two points over the race weekend as a result of finishing seventh in the Saturday Sprint race.
ALEX ALBON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | WON | 14 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
🇦🇷 Franco COLAPINTO
This will be Franco Colapinto’s first outing at the Lusail Circuit.
🇯🇵 Yuki TSUNODA
Yuki Tsunoda reached Q3 at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, qualifying in eighth place – four positions behind his team-mate Pierre Gasly. AlphaTauri did not have the pace in the race and Tsunoda finished 13th, two places behind his team-mate.
Tsunoda remains yet to score at Lusail Circuit, having been eliminated in Q2 at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix and driven from 11th on the grid to 15th at the finish.
YUKI TSUNODA’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 8 | 8 | 13 | -5 |
| 2023 | WON | 11 | 11 | 15 | -4 |
🇳🇿 Liam LAWSON
Liam Lawson raced at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. it was his final appearance in the 2023 season. He spun out on the opening lap of the Sprint, having qualified 14th. After starting 17th in the Grand Prix, Lawson finished where he started at Lusail Circuit last year. He was last of the 17 drivers who crossed the finish line.
🇫🇮 Valtteri BOTTAS
A puncture cost Valtteri Bottas a likely podium finish with Mercedes at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. Bottas qualified third for the race but was dropped down three positions after being deemed to have ignored a yellow flag in Q3. He lost positions at the start and ran in 11th before making a number of moves to get back into podium contention. His one-stop strategy failed and he ultimately retired from the race after picking up his puncture.
Bottas scored at the Qatar Grand Prix for the first time in 2023, finishing in eighth place. He maintained his 100% Q3 record at Lusail Circuit, qualifying in ninth place.
VALTTERI BOTTAS’ QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 3 | 6 | DNF | – |
| 2023 | WON | 9 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
🇨🇳 ZHOU Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu has a 100% points-scoring rate at the Qatar Grand Prix, having finished ninth on his first appearance at Lusail Circuit in 2023. He did so despite setting the slowest qualifying time and starting 19th on the grid.
ZHOU GUANYU’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | LOST | 20 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
🇩🇰 Kevin MAGNUSSEN
Kevin Magnussen made his first Lusail Circuit appearance at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. The Dane made up places in the Sprint race, driving from 19th on the grid to 13th at the finish. He started the main Grand Prix one position higher than in the Sprint – but finished one position lower than he had done in the Saturday race.
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | LOST | 19 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
🇩🇪 Nico HULKENBERG
Nico Hulkenberg has previously won at Losail International Circuit. While this will be his first Qatar Grand Prix appearance, Hulkenberg raced at the track in the GP2 Asia Series in 2009. He won the Feature Race and finished on the podium in the Sprint Race. Hulkenberg set the lap record at the track in qualifying for the race. It stood for 12 years, until being broken over the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix weekend.
In his first race at the track in 14 years – the Saturday Sprint event over the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix weekend, Hulkenberg crashed out after being sandwiched between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez just beyond the midpoint of the race.
In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Hulkenberg was caught out by a vacant grid slot in front of his actual starting position and picked up a ten second time penalty for starting from the wrong position. He went on to finish 16th.
NICO HULKENBERG’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | WON | 15 | 14 | 16 | -2 |