Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton will start from the top spot for the first-ever Qatar Grand Prix after posting the fastest qualifying time Saturday at the Losail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:20.827 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.455 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | +0.651 |
| 4 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | +0.813 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | +0.843 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.904 |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +1.013 |
| 8 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | +1.054 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.201 |
| 10 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | +1.958 |
| 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | Q2 |
| 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Q2 |
| 13 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | Q2 |
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | Q2 |
| 15 | George Russell | Williams | Q2 |
| 16 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | Q1 |
| 17 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | Q1 |
| 18 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | Q1 |
| 19 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | Q1 |
| 20 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas | Q1 |
"That last lap was beautiful. It was a really sweet lap. This track is amazing to drive," Hamilton said.
The 36-year-old Brit will attempt to catch rival Max Verstappen in the last three races of the Formula 1 season. The Red Bull star currently owns a 14-point lead in the driver standings for the top spot.
Saturday's qualifying session also provided some surprise results, as Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, and Daniel Ricciardo missed out on Q3 and will start outside of the top 10 for Sunday's main event.