DOHA: A delighted George Russell qualified in second place for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix following a late and confusing deletion of the best laps by rival McLaren drivers.
When the chequered flag waved to end Friday’s qualifying session, defending champion Max Verstappen was fastest for Red Bull ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren with Mercedes’ Russell third and Oscar Piastri fourth in the second McLaren.
The decisions to scub out the fastest laps by the two McLarens were not communicated to the drivers or organizers before the top-three finishers began to gather for their post-session broadcast media interviews — at which point Norris withdrew, knowing he had exceeded track limits on his best lap.
That left Russell to declare he was delighted to finish third on the grid — not knowing that he was promoted to second.
“It was a really tricky day for everybody,” he said.
“The new tarmac was really slippery and all the sand is blowing onto the track. We went out in qualifying and the lap times were just immense compared to the times we were doing this morning.
“That was good fun! And I’m really happy to be P3.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, for which Verstappen claimed pole position, he said: “Lando and the McLarens are really quick at the moment. We know Red Bull and Max are in a league of their own, but our fight is with Ferrari to secure P2 in the constructors’ championship.”
At one point, he turned to look for Norris. “Where is Lando?” he asked. “He seems to have disappeared!“
In a bizarre turn of events, Piastri was then interviewed although he was demoted from third position during the broadcast. He will start sixth while Norris fell to 10th.
Norris later said: “I just had a correction and oversteer and went off. The team have done a good job. I just messed it up. Not a good day for me.”
Piastri said: “I’m not particularly happy with myself. Very, very scruffy on that last lap. Bit more on the table, but I’ll take a top three.”
Hamilton said he felt that Norris deserved to have kept his place after taking issue with the severity of the penalties when drivers exceed the limits.
“I feel Lando should be up here really,” he told reporters.
Hamilton, who was elevated to third long after the chaotic sequence of broadcast interviews, was also one of four drivers to be investigated for allegedly driving too slowly in Q1 along with Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Piastri.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was also called to see the stewards for baulking Verstappen in Q2 in an incident that resulted in the Dutchman claiming that he almost crashed.
Hamilton discussed his car’s erratic performance.
“It’s confusing because we were nearly out of Q1, which is incredibly frustrating in that moment, but then we get into Q2 and all of a sudden we’re right up there.
“So it’s very, very strange, but it’s really great for the team for us to be up there and George did a great job today.
“So for us to be so close is pretty awesome. I mean, for me, it was a relatively average qualifying session — Q1 and Q3 particularly. I was able to put together the lap, but it came too early, in Q2, so I wish I had that for Q3.”
He said he was not thinking about his personal battle with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for second place in the title race. He trails the Mexican by 33 points with six events remaining.
Perez struggled again to extract the potential from his car and was eliminated in Q2, taking 13th place on the grid.
“No,” he said. “I’m not thinking about that. I want to win the race and I am trying to do that. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting against.”
George Russell delighted with second in chaotic end to Qatar GP qualifying
George Russell delighted with second in chaotic end to Qatar GP qualifying
FIA, Formula 1 and all 11 race teams sign 9th Concorde Agreement
- FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says new contract secures the FIA Formula One World Championship’s long-term future
DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, and Formula One Group, the commercial rights holder, have announced the signing of the Concorde Governance Agreement, a contract defining the regulatory framework and governance terms of the FIA Formula One World Championship until 2030.
This follows the announcement in March that the 2026 Commercial Concorde Agreement had been signed by all the teams and Formula One Group.
Together, these agreements constitute the ninth Concorde Agreement, a major step forward in the professionalisation and global development of the sport.
First introduced in 1981, the Concorde Agreements are designed to promote sporting fairness, technological innovation and operational excellence, and align all key stakeholders around a shared vision for structured governance and continued growth of the sport.
Each iteration of the Concorde Agreements has shaped the FIA Formula One World Championship into the global spectacle it is today.
The ninth Concorde Agreement announced today marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the FIA and Formula One Group, who have worked together to write the next chapter in Formula One history, demonstrating mutual respect, transparency and shared purpose between the two organisations.
It confirms the participation of all FIA Formula One World Championship teams, including the incoming Cadillac Formula One team, through the end of the decade, and provides a stable foundation for the sporting and technical evolution of the sport.
The Concorde Agreement underscores the commitment of the FIA, Formula One Group and all teams to continue growing and developing the sport, and to keep driving the momentous expansion it has enjoyed in recent years.
The new contract enables the FIA to invest further in improved race regulation, race direction, stewarding and technical expertise for the benefit of the championship, and means the sport can continue to evolve, providing exciting technological innovation and sporting action for fans, broadcasters and partners, all within a stable and structured regulatory framework.
Combined with record viewership growth, a dynamic race calendar, and increasing engagement from younger audiences, the FIA Formula One World Championship enters this next chapter with unprecedented momentum.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, said: “The ninth Concorde Agreement secures the FIA Formula One World Championship’s long-term future and I am proud of the dedication that has been invested in this process.
“I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali and his team in what has been a strong collaboration, building a framework grounded in fairness, stability, and shared ambition. This agreement allows us to continue modernising our regulatory, technological, and operational capabilities, including supporting our race directors, officials, and the thousands of volunteers whose expertise underpin every race.
“We are ensuring that Formula One remains at the forefront of technological innovation, setting new standards in global sport.”
Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula One Group, said: “Today is an important day for Formula One. As we celebrate 75 years of this incredible sport, we are proud to write the next chapter in our long and amazing history.
“This agreement ensures that Formula One is in the best possible position to continue to grow around the world. I want to thank the president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem and all the teams for the collaboration and determination to achieve the best results for the entire sport in our discussions.
“We have a huge amount to be proud of, but we also are focused on the opportunities and exciting potential for Formula One in the years ahead.”
