Mercedes won the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix from pole position, Red Bull did the same in 2023 and McLaren won last year’s Sprint. Here’s everything you need to know about each team’s history at the Qatar Grand Prix!
RED BULL
WINS: 1, POLES: 1, PODIUMS: 2 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: VERSTAPPEN 1st, PEREZ 10th
RED BULL IN 2021
Sergio Perez was a surprise Q2 elimination for Red Bull at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2021, qualifying only 11th. Max Verstappen qualified on the front row but incurred a grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement in Q3, meaning he started only seventh.
Despite their low starting positions, the two drivers soon found their way through the field. Verstappen was running in second place by Lap 5 – the position in which he’d remain for the rest of the race – while Perez challenged Fernando Alonso for a podium finish. Perez’s challenge was ultimately futile and he finished fourth.
RED BULL IN 2023
Sergio Perez again failed to reach Q3 with Red Bull at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen gave the team their first pole at Lusail Circuit. Verstappen went on to win the 2023 Drivers’ Championship as a result of the Saturday Sprint race, in which Perez crashed out.
Verstappen won the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, leading every lap of the race. Perez started from the pit lane and recovered to the points, finishing tenth and giving Red Bull their second consecutive double points finish at the track. They are the only team to see both cars finish in the points in both the 2021 and 2023 Qatar Grands Prix.
MERCEDES
WINS: 1, POLES: 1, PODIUMS: 1 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: RUSSELL 4th, HAMILTON DNF
MERCEDES IN 2021
Despite power unit issues in Free Practice 1, Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. He went on to have a peerless Sunday evening, leading every lap on his way to victory. Watch the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix highlights.
While it was plain sailing for Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas had a weekend to forget. He qualified third but incurred a five place penalty for a yellow flag infringement in Q3. Starting eighth, he ran in third place until Lap 33, being the last driver to make a stop for fresh tyres. The Finn pushed his tyres too far and picked up a puncture, ultimately retiring from the race.
MERCEDES IN 2023
A first corner collision between team-mates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton was not the best of starts to the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix for Mercedes. Hamilton was eliminated from the race, meaning Mercedes are yet to see both of their cars cross the finish line at Lusail Circuit, while Russell found himself at the back of the field. Russell recovered to fourth place by the end of the race.
Mercedes could not replicate their pole position from the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, but both drivers did qualify in the top three, with Russell qualifying a tenth faster than Hamilton to line up on the front row. Mercedes are one of only two teams to see both of their cars appear in Q3 at both Qatar Grands Prix held to date.
FERRARI
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: LECLERC 5th, SAINZ DNS
FERRARI IN 2021
Ferrari picked up only a handful of points at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix in 2021. After qualifying seventh, Carlos Sainz moved up to fifth on the final grid but lost the positions he’d made up over the course of the race and finished where he originally qualified, in seventh place.
Charles Leclerc was eliminated in Q2 at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. Starting 13th, he gained five positions over the course of the race and finished eighth – ensuring Ferrari scored points with both cars.
FERRARI IN 2023
With fifth place, Charles Leclerc recorded Ferrari’s best Qatar Grand Prix result to date in the 2023 race. Team-mate Carlos Sainz failed to start the race after suffering a fuel leak. He had finished sixth – six positions ahead of team-mate Leclerc – in the previous evening’s Sprint event.
For the second Qatar Grand Prix in succession, one Ferrari driver reached Q3 while the other was out in Q2 during qualifying. This time it was Leclerc who reached Q3, qualifying fifth and recording Ferrari’s first top five qualification at Lusail Circuit. Sainz was out in Q2, qualifying 12th.
McLAREN
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 2 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: PIASTRI 2nd, OSCAR 3rd
McLAREN IN 2021
While Lando Norris progressed to Q3 at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix – qualifying in sixth place – Daniel Ricciardo was eliminated in Q2 and could qualify no further up the grid than 14th.
Norris moved up to fourth on the final grid and held on to fourth until the closing stages, when he made a final pit stop and emerged ninth. Those were the only points McLaren would score, with Ricciardo progressing by only two positions over the course of the race and finishing 12th.
McLAREN IN 2023
Both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had lap times deleted in Q3 at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, which saw them qualify only sixth and tenth. There were better times for the team on Saturday, with Piastri leading a front row lock-out for the Sprint and going on to win the shorter race, with Norris finishing third.
On Sunday, both drivers made progress from their grid positions and secured a double podium finish. Like the Sprint, Piastri finished ahead of Norris.
ASTON MARTIN
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: ALONSO 6th, STROLL 11th
ASTON MARTIN IN 2021
Brake issues for Lance Stroll prevented him from completing much running during opening practice at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. While he went on to qualify 12th, team-mate Sebastian Vettel reached Q3 for the first time in eight races, lining up tenth on the grid.
Both drivers were able to score in the race. Lance Stroll completed a fine drive to sixth place, while Sebastian Vettel finished where he started, in tenth place.
ASTON MARTIN IN 2023
While Lance Stroll recorded Aston Martin’s first Q1 exit at Lusail Circuit, Fernando Alonso recorded the team’s best qualifying result to date at the track, setting the fourth fastest time in Q3.
The team maintained their 100% finish rate at the event, though Stroll became the first of the team’s drivers to fail to score in a Grand Prix here. He originally finished ninth but was demoted to 11th in the final order for track limits violations. Alonso equalled Stroll’s result from 2021, finishing sixth.
ALPINE
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 1 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: OCON 7th, GASLY 12th
ALPINE IN 2021
It was a strong weekend for Alpine at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. Both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon finished in the top five, with Fernando Alonso securing a podium finish for the team.
Both drivers reached Q3, with Alonso qualifying fifth but starting third thanks to grid penalties for drivers ahead of him. Alonso made a good start and ran in second place until being overtaken by Max Verstappen. The Spaniard remained in podium contention throughout the race and held on to third place despite a somewhat risky tyre strategy – and the charging Red Bull of Sergio Perez pressuring from behind.
Ocon also enjoyed a strong race, moving up four positions over the course of the Grand Prix from ninth on the grid to fifth at the finish.
ALPINE IN 2023
Both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly reached Q3 at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, making Alpine the only team other than Mercedes to reach Q3 with both cars at both Lusail Circuit races to date. Gasly qualified ahead of Ocon, but it was Ocon who finished the race ahead of Gasly.
Ocon picked up six points for a seventh place finish, while Gasly finished tenth on the road before being demoted to 12th in the final order due to exceeding track limits.
WILLIAMS
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: ALBON 13th, SARGEANT DNF
WILLIAMS IN 2021
While Nicholas Latifi was eliminated in Q1 at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, George Russell progressed to Q2 and qualified 15th. The pair ran no higher than 13th during the race and their evenings took a drastic turn for the worse as both drivers picked up punctures late on in the race. Latifi retired as a result of damage from his puncture, while Russell finished only 17th.
WILLIAMS IN 2023
Williams once again saw one driving finish outside of the points and the other retire at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Alex Albon – who had picked up two points in the Sprint with seventh place – recorded Williams’ best Grand Prix result at the track to date with 13th place, while Logan Sargeant retired from the race after falling ill as a result of the extreme heat in which the race was run.
VISA CASH APP RB
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: TSUNODA 15th, LAWSON 17th
ALPHATAURI IN 2021
AlphaTauri showed good pace throughout the practice sessions at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix and the pace translated well in qualifying. Yuki Tsunoda qualified eighth, while Pierre Gasly impressed with fourth place despite picking up a puncture at the end of Q3 from running over the kerbs.
Sadly, the team did not have good race pace. Pierre Gasly secured his first front row start thanks to penalties for other drivers but plummeted down the order over the course of the race, eventually finishing outside of the points in 11th. Yuki Tsunoda could finish no higher than 13th.
ALPHATAURI IN 2023
Neither Yuki Tsunoda nor Liam Lawson reached Q3 at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, with Tsunoda missing out on a spot in Q3 by just 0.004 seconds. Lawson was out in Q1, qualifying 18th.
It was a point-less weekend for AlphaTauri. Lawson spun out on the opening lap of the Sprint, while Tsunoda missed out on points by another fine margin, finish just a second behind Fernando Alonso in eighth. Both drivers finished a lap down in the Grand Prix itself, with Tsunoda 15th and Lawson 17th.
SAUBER
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: BOTTAS 8th, ZHOU 9th
ALFA ROMEO IN 2021
Both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi were eliminated in the first stage of qualifying at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix and both drivers had anonymous drives in the race. Raikkonen finished 14th, with Giovinazzi following him across the line in 15th.
ALFA ROMEO IN 2023
Alfa Romeo enjoyed their only double points-scoring race of the season at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where Valtteri Bottas finished eighth and Zhou Guanyu crossed the line ninth. Zhou did so despite starting on the back row of the grid after being eliminated in Q1. Bottas reached Q3 – the first time a driver for the team had made it out of Q1 in Qatar.
HAAS
WINS: 0, POLES: 0, PODIUMS: 0 | 2023 QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULT: MAGNUSSEN 14th, HULKENBERG 16th
HAAS IN 2021
Haas’ preparations for the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix were hindered by a number of car issues for Nikita Mazepin. Damage sustained by running over kerbs saw the Russian driver pick up chassis damage in Free Practice 1 and he was subsequently unable to partake in Free Practice 2. Mazepin made it out of his garage in final practice, but further engine issues prevented him from travelling any further than the end of the pit lane.
As had become the norm in 2021, both Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin qualified on the back row at the Qatar Grand Prix. Neither made much progress in the race. Schumacher finished a lap down in 16th place, while Mazepin finished 18th – last of the classified runners and two laps down on the leaders.
HAAS IN 2023
Kevin Magnussen recorded Haas’ third back row qualification at Lusail Circuit in 2023, while Nico Hulkenberg became the first Haas driver to progress to Q2 at the track, qualifying 15th. Hulkenberg also reached SQ3 in the Sprint Shootout, setting the seventh fastest lap time.
The Sprint yielded no points for the team however, as Hulkenberg crashed out and Magnussen finished only 13th from 19th on the grid. In the Grand Prix itself, Haas maintained their 100% finishing rate at the Qatar Grand Prix but once again failed to score any points.
