Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in the weekend’s sole practice session, leading the way from the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as everyone pushed the limits while the sun set in Qatar.
The grid had just one hour to get used to the changes made around the Lusail International Circuit ahead of tonight’s Sprint Qualifying, with amended kerbs and added gravel traps placed throughout the track.
READ MORE: Leclerc leads Norris and Piastri during Qatar GP practice
Constructors’ championship contenders Ferrari and McLaren both looked rapid in the second half of the session, with Leclerc clocking the overall fastest lap of 1m 21.953s, getting the better of the McLaren duo by just under half a second.
It was an incident-free hour in rapidly cooling conditions, although a number of drivers were caught out by the track changes and battled to avoid the gravel, including Sergio Perez, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly.
Click go on the video player above to catch up with first practice for the Qatar Grand Prix.
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