Charles Leclerc dominated the sole practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix, outpacing Lando Norris with a commanding performance as the sun set in Lusail.

Ferrari's unique strategy of utilizing hard tires early in the session paid dividends, with both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz showing strong pace. When switching to soft tires in the final minutes, Leclerc further cemented his advantage, posting two impressive flying laps that put him 0.435s ahead of Norris.

McLaren showed promising speed, with Norris leading the first sector and teammate Oscar Piastri finishing third, just 0.047s behind. Both McLaren drivers struggled with track limits in the windy conditions. Sainz rounded out the top four, though notably 0.582s behind his teammate Leclerc.

The session revealed a significant gap between the frontrunners and the rest of the field, with Yuki Tsunoda finishing fifth for RB, over a second off the pace. Valtteri Bottas surprised with sixth place for Stake Sauber, setting the fastest middle sector time after the checkered flag.

Notable performances:

• Lance Stroll, George Russell, Alex Albon, and Lewis Hamilton completed the top 10
• Max Verstappen finished just outside in 11th
• Sergio Perez struggled, ending 18th and 0.826s slower than his teammate
• Esteban Ocon faced mechanical issues, limiting his running time

Top 10 Practice Results:

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.435s
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.482s
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.582s
5. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) +1.092s
6. Valtteri Bottas (Stake Sauber)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. George Russell (Mercedes)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

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