Verstappen won the title at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix and has won the last two races here, Hamilton took victory in 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 became the first driver to record multiple podium finishes in Qatar Grand Prix history.
Verstappen scored another win at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2024. After finishing only eighth in the Sprint, Verstappen set the fastest time in Grand Prix qualifying but started second after picked up a one-place grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly. Verstappen seized the lead at the start and went on to lead every lap, claiming his ninth and final victory in his fourth title-winning season.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇦🇺 Liam LAWSON
Liam Lawson raced at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix in his final appearance of 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. He was last of the 17 drivers who crossed the finish line.
In 2024, Lawson remained yet to make it out of Q1 here, though he did reach SQ3 in Sprint Qualifying. In the Grand Prix, Lawson gained three place from 17th on the grid – a contrast to the previous day’s Sprint, where he lost six places on the opening lap. Lawson’s race undid itself when he spun at the Safety Car restart and picked up a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas. He finished the race 14th of the 15 finishers.
LIAM LAWSON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇬🇧 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.
2024 saw Norris take pole for the Sprint and lead most of the Saturday race before handing victory to team-mate Oscar Piastri in the final few corners, after Piastri had gifted him a Sprint win at Interlagos a few weeks previously.
Norris started Sunday’s Grand Prix third – his best Grand Prix grid position to date at the track – and ran second after overtaking George Russell on the opening lap. That’s where he remained until earning himself a 10-second stop/go penalty for failing to acknowledge double yellow flags. The penalty dropped him to the back of the field but he was able to salvage his 100% points-scoring rate at the circuit, valiantly battling his way to tenth and earning an extra point for setting the fastest lap.
LANDO NORRIS’ QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇦🇺 Oscar PIASTRI
Prior to his rookie Formula 1 season, Oscar Piastri had previously 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.
Piastri took another Sprint win at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. Although team-mate Lando Norris led throughout, he gifted the win to Piastri in the final few metres of the race, as payback for Piastri handing a Sprint win to him in Brazil. In Sunday’s Grand Prix, he became the second driver – after Max Verstappen – to secure multiple podium finishes in Qatar, finishing in third place.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇬🇧 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.
In 2023, 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.
Although he picked up points with a sixth place finish in Saturday’s Sprint, Hamilton again failed to score in the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. Having started sixth while his team-mate started from pole, Hamilton lost places at the start and later picked up a penalty for a false start. Another penalty followed for speeding in the pit lane after suffering a puncture. He could finish no higher than 12th.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇲🇨 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.
Top five finishes followed in both the Sprint and Grand Prix in Qatar in 2024. After finishing fifth in the Saturday race, Leclerc secured fifth on the grid for a second consecutive year. He gained three places in the race to finish as runner-up – his first podium finish and best result to date at Lusail Circuit.
CHARLES LECLERC’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇬🇧 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.
Russell finished fourth for a second consecutive season at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. After finishing third in the Sprint after a race-long duel with Oscar Piastri, Russell set the second fastest time in Grand Prix qualifying and inherited pole position from Max Verstappen when the Dutchman was handed a grid drop. Russell lost the lead at Turn 1 and fell to third on the opening lap.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇮🇹 Kimi ANTONELLI
Kimi Antonelli raced at Lusail Circuit in Formula 2 in 2024 but failed to finish either race following a collision with Kush Maini in the Sprint Race and a collision with Richard Verschoor in the pit lane in the Feature Race. These would ultimately be his final starts in F2 as he did not compete in the final round of the year in Abu Dhabi due to illness.
🇪🇸 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 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.
There were more points on offer in 2024 as Alonso continued his Q3 appearance streak at Lusail and ultimately finished seventh.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇨🇦 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.
Stroll left point-less again at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. After finishing 13th in the Sprint, Stroll qualified 15th for the Grand Prix. Contact on the opening lap with Alex Albon saw him pull into the pits to retire after just seven laps of racing.
LANCE STROLL’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇫🇷 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.
Despite missing out an a spot in Q3 for the first time in 2024, Gasly recorded his best result to date at the track with fifth place. He continued his record of out-qualifying his team-mate on every visit to Qatar.
PIERRE GASLY’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇦🇺 Jack DOOHAN
Lusail Circuit is the track at which Jack Doohan drove a Formula 1 car for the first time, taking part in a test with Alpine in May 2022. He’s yet to race at the track.
🇫🇷 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 Sprint 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.
The 100% points-scoring rate came to an end in 2024 when he crashed out of the Qatar Grand Prix on the first lap. He had set the slowest lap time in Q1, ending his Q3 streak at Lusail Circuit. The race would turn out to be Ocon’s final appearance with Alpine, with it being announced just days later than he would be replaced by Jack Doohan for the final race of the year.
ESTEBAN OCON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇬🇧 Ollie BEARMAN
Ollie Bearman won the Formula 2 Sprint Race at Lusail Circuit in 2024. His Sunday did not go to plan, however, and he finished the Feature Race only 12th.
🇯🇵 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. He maintained his 100% finish rate in 2024, finishing 17th in the Sprint and 13th in the Grand Prix. He gained four places at the start of the race from 14th on the grid but would lose positions as the race progressed.
YUKI TSUNODA’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇫🇷 Isack HADJAR
Isack Hadjar raced at Lusail Circuit in Formula 2 in 2024. Setting the ninth fastest time in qualifying, he started and finished the Sprint Race in second place. On Sunday, in the Feature Race, he finished third on the road before post-race penalties bumped him up to second in the final order.
🇪🇸 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.
2024 went much better for the Spaniard. After a fourth place finish in the Sprint, Sainz equalled his best qualifying result to date at Lusail Circuit with seventh place. He went on to record his best Grand Prix result to date at the track, with sixth place, despite picking up a puncture from debris on the main straight.
CARLOS SAINZ’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇹🇭 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.
There were no points on offer for Albon at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, where he finished 15th in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. He reached SQ2 on Friday but was eliminated in Q1 on Saturday. Contact with Lance Stroll didn’t help his Sunday and a ten-second penalty for causing a collision saw him finish 15th and last of the drivers still running at the end of the race.
ALEX ALBON’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇩🇪 Nico HULKENBERG
Nico Hulkenberg has previously won at Losail International Circuit. 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.
Hulkenberg reached SQ3 at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix and picked up points in the Sprint, finishing seventh. After a good Saturday came a bad Sunday. Starting only 18th after exiting in Q1 due to a team error, Hulkenberg spun at Turn 1 before ending his race with another spin at Turn 9 during a Safety Car restart.
NICO HULKENBERG’S QATAR GRAND PRIX HISTORY
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🇧🇷 Gabriel BORTOLETO
Gabriel Bortoleto raced at Lusail Circuit in Formula 2 in 2024. After setting the second fastest lap time in qualifying, Bortoleto started eighth in the Sprint Race and finished fifth. On Sunday, Bortoleto crossed the finish line first in the Feature Race but picked up a five-second penalty for crossing the pit entry line during the race. It dropped him to third in the final order.