The polesitter has led every lap of both Grands Prix at Lusail Circuit so far, while tenth on the grid has recorded the furthest back podium finish. Here’s everything you need to know about the history of each grid slot at the Qatar Grand Prix!
QATAR GRAND PRIX GRID STATS IN BRIEF
- Polesitter has won both races so far
- Half of podium finishes have come from outside the top five
- 1st, 5th and 8th are the only grid slots to finish in the top eight in both races
- 14th is furthest forward grid slot to not score
QATAR GRAND PRIX RESULTS: GRID OVERVIEW
| Position | Last Win | Last Podium | Last Points | Last DNF | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | 2023 | 2023 | - | 1st |
| 2 | - | - | 2023 | - | 4th |
| 3 | - | 2021 | 2021 | 2023 | 3rd |
| 4 | - | - | 2023 | - | 6th |
| 5 | - | - | 2023 | - | 5th |
| 6 | - | 2023 | 2023 | 2021 | 2nd |
| 7 | - | 2021 | 2021 | - | 2nd |
| 8 | - | - | 2023 | - | 7th |
| 9 | - | - | 2023 | - | 5th |
| 10 | - | 2023 | 2023 | - | 3rd |
| 11 | - | - | 2021 | - | 4th |
| 12 | - | - | 2021 | 2023 (DNS) | 6th |
| 13 | - | - | 2021 | - | 8th |
| 14 | - | - | - | - | 12th |
| 15 | - | - | - | 2023 | 17th |
| 16 | - | - | - | - | 11th |
| 17 | - | - | - | 2021 | 17th |
| 18 | - | - | - | - | 14th |
| 19 | - | - | 2023 | - | 9th |
| 20 | - | - | - | - | 18th |
- Polesitter led every lap of last two races
- Also won 2023 Sprint
The polesitter has won both Grands Prix held to date at Lusail Circuit. Lewis Hamilton won by 25 seconds in 2021, while Max Verstappen won the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix by just under five seconds. Both drivers led every lap on their way to victory.
Furthermore, the polesitter also won the Sprint event at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri recording his first race win of his Formula 1 career.
- No podium finishes
- Scored points once
The driver starting second at Lusail Circuit is yet to finish on the podium in the Qatar Grand Prix. Pierre Gasly failed to score having started here in 2021, while George Russell became the first driver to score from second on the grid in Qatar in 2023, finishing fourth.
- One podium and one DNF so far
- Hamilton’s race ended at Turn 1 in 2023
While Fernando Alonso finished where he started in 2021 and claimed a podium finish – his first in over seven years – Lewis Hamilton failed to finish the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023 having started third. Hamilton was taken out at Turn 1 in a collision with his Mercedes team-mate.
- No podiums but 100% points rate
- Sixth is best result
The driver starting fourth has scored points in both Qatar races so far but is yet to finish in the top five. Fernando Alonso recorded this grid slot’s best result to date with sixth place in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, while Lando Norris finished ninth in 2021.
- Points in both races
- Never gained a position
The driver starting fifth has also scored points in both runnings of the Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail Circuit to date. Carlos Sainz finished seventh having started here in 2021, while Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc recorded the position’s best finish to date with fifth place in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
- Mixed fortunes so far
- Finished runner-up in 2023
One good race and one bad race so far from sixth on the grid at the Qatar Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas retired with damage from a puncture in 2021, while Oscar Piastri finished as runner-up with McLaren having started sixth in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
- Finished second in 2021
- One points-scoring race so far
Max Verstappen finished as runner-up having started seventh in the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. It’s the only points-scoring race to date at Lusail Circuit, with Pierre Gasly finishing 12th in 2023. He originally finished tenth but received a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
- Scored points in 2023
- Yet to finish in the top six
Esteban Ocon’s seventh place in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix was the first time that the driver starting eighth scored at Lusail Circuit. Yuki Tsunoda finished a lap down, in 13th place, in 2021.
- Two top eight finishes
- Best result of fifth
The driver starting ninth has finished in the top eight at both Qatar races to date. It is one of only three grid slots to have done so, after 1st and 5th. Esteban Ocon has had the best result from this position to date with fifth place in 2021, while Valtteri Bottas finished eighth in 2023.
- Furthest back podium recorded from tenth
- Points in both Grands Prix so far
Tenth is the furthest back grid position to have recorded a podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix. Lando Norris finished third having started here in 2023. The driver starting here is yet to fail to score in Qatar. Sebastian Vettel finished where he started from in 2021.
- Best result of fourth, in 2021
- No points last year
Sergio Perez gained seven positions when he started 11th at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix in 2021, but Yuki Tsunoda was unable to score when he started 11th in 2023, finishing only 15th.
- Top six result in first race
- Grid slot mistakenly left clear in 2023
Lance Stroll finished sixth when he lined up 12th on the grid for the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. As a result of Carlos Sainz failing to start in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, this grid slot should have been left clear. However, Nico Hulkenberg – who was due to start 14th – erroneously pulled too far forward and started here instead. Hulkenberg was given a 10-second penalty for the mishap and ultimately finished the race 16th.
- One points scoring race to date
Charles Leclerc converted a 13th place start into points at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, finishing in eighth place. Alex Albon failed to make the same happen in 2023 and he finished where he started, in 13th.
- Furthest forward grid slot with no points yet
- Best result of 12th
14th is the furthest forward grid slot which is yet to score a point in the Qatar Grand Prix. Both drivers starting here have finished the race. Daniel Ricciardo moved forwards two positions in 2021 to finish 12th, while Nico Hulkenberg lost two positions having started here in 2023.
Notably, Hulkenberg didn’t actually start 14th as the grid slot ahead of him (12th) was left clear. He erroneously pulled into the grid slot in front for the start of the race, for which he received a ten second time penalty.
- No finishes inside the top 16
No one has finished above 17th having started 15th so far at the Qatar Grand Prix. Only Williams drivers have filled this grid slot to date, with George Russell finishing 17th from here in 2021 and Logan Sargeant retiring after falling ill with heatstroke in 2023.
- 100% finish rate
- No points scored yet
There’ve been two finishes so far from 16th on the grid but no points have yet been scored from here. Lance Stroll came close to doing so in 2023. He finished ninth on the road but two five-second time penalties dropped him to 11th in the final order.
- Yet to gain a position from starting spot
Nicholas Latifi retired from 17th on the grid in the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. Liam Lawson did at least finish the race last year, finishing in the same position as he started.
- No points yet
- Two top 15 finishes
18th completes a run of five consecutive grid slots which are yet to score in Qatar. Antonio Giovinazzi finished 15th from here in 2021, while Kevin Magnussen finished 14th in 2023.
- Picked up points in 2023
- 100% finish rate
The driver starting 19th scored for the first time at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, with Zhou Guanyu finishing ninth. Mick Schumacher finished 16th from 19th on the grid in 2021.
- 18th in 2021
- Grid slot left clear in 2023
Due to a pit lane starter in 2023, the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix is the only Lusail race to date in which a driver has started from 20th on the grid. Nikita Mazepin finished 18th having started here that year.
There has been one pit lane start to date at the Qatar Grand Prix. In 2023, Sergio Perez started from the pit lane and went on to pick up one point with a tenth place finish.