P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Here’s the starting grid for the Qatar F1 Grand Prix after Max Verstappen was stripped of pole position
Max Verstappen was able to improve his qualifying time by nearly eight-tenths of a second from sprint qualifying to the Qatar Grand Prix’s main qualifying session. However, his slow pace on track resulted in him losing pole position for the race. As a consequence, George Russell was forced to take evasive action, leading to Verstappen’s pole position being stripped. Consequently, Verstappen will start on the outside next to Russell for the race, while McLaren and Ferrari will battle it out for crucial points in the constructors’ championship. Other notable developments include Fernando Alonso breaking Aston Martin’s poor qualifying streak by starting in eighth place and Sauber making it to Q2 for the first time since Barcelona. Furthermore, Esteban Ocon’s struggle was highlighted as he was almost nine-tenths slower than his teammate, Pierre Gasly. These events add to the excitement of an eventful weekend at Losail.
