George Russell threw down the early benchmark early in Q3, putting his W15 on provisional pole by over three-tenths over Charles Leclerc. McLaren’s Lando Norris pulled out of his first push lap after a snap at Turn 4 saw his MCL38 veer off the racing line.

Newly-crowned Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has been given an additional punishment after his 'unprecedented' penalty ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. Last weekend, Red Bull superstar Verstappen clinched his fourth successive F1 world title after finishing ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Newly-crowned four-time world champion Max Verstappen has been stripped of pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix for impeding Mercedes driver George Russell in qualifying on Saturday.