Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were promoted to second and third after penalties for McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris and Piastri had been second and fourth, sandwiching Russell, but lost their times for exceeding track limits. Verstappen will clinch the title as long as he does not lose six points or more to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in an event that awards eight points to the winner and then a sliding scale down to one point for eighth. Verstappen set his best time on his first run and then ran wide at Turns Four and Five on his second run. Verstappen said: “It was difficult for everyone out there. Russell said Mercedes had not expected to be so strong in Qatar, on a track dominated by fast corners, an area where they have struggled this season. “In the second half of the season, the qualifying pace [for me] has been exceptional,” Russell said. Norris said: “I just had an oversteer and I went off. Perez also had his fastest Q2 lap deleted and even that lap was 0.8secs slower than Verstappen’s best in the same session.

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