Follow all the action from the Qatar Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton starts on pole ahead of Max Verstappen as the Formula One season approaches a thrilling climax.
In search of a record-breaking eighth world championship, Hamilton trails Verstappen by 14 points in the drivers’ standings with just three races remaining of the season. However, after his stunning victory in Brazil, where Hamilton came from tenth on the grid to take victory, the momentum is firmly with the Mercedes driver. He followed up that performance with a dominant display in qualifying on Saturday, finishing four-tenths quicker than his title rival to take pole.
Overtaking is expected to be tricky on the Losail circuit, with teams likely to take a one-stop strategy, meaning there will be more pressure than ever on the approach into turn one. Verstappen escaped punishment after appearing to run Hamilton off the track in Brazil and the Briton admitted there was still a lack of clarity over the incident. “It’s not clear, every driver except for Max was asking for clarity,” he said. “It’s still not clear what the limits of the track are, it’s clearly not the white line any more when overtaking, so we just go for it. We just ask for consistency so, if it’s the same as the last race, then it should be the same for all of us.” Follow all the latest updates below:
