The race in Qatar began under floodlights and the first practice session, which was also the only free session, ended with victory for Charles Leclerc.
The setting sun, a strong crosswind, many mistakes – these were the characteristics of the first part of the opening practice, dominated by Red Bull Racing. However, the big rival McLaren seemed quite unstable, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri hit the floor hard, as did Sergio Perez. In the meantime, Scuderia Ferrari slowly started to develop, switching from the soft tyres to the medium tyres, taking the lead. It was here that Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc set the fastest times, and in the end it was Leclerc who ended the practice in first place. The unstable McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can expect a qualifying sprint from second and third place.
