Which F1 drivers do well at Qatar Grand Prix with Max Verstappen successful at Lusail

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Formula 1 has staged the Qatar Grand Prix since the 2021 season and seen a handful of drivers win the race, so F1 Oversteer takes a look at who are the most successful.

Qatar first welcomed F1 to the Middle East nation in 2021 with the addition of another night race amid the series’ search for further races for a season disrupted by Covid-19. The Lusail International Circuit also became a permanent venue on the F1 calendar in the 2023 season.

The Gulf state had already explored staging a Formula 1 race before Lewis Hamilton won the debut Qatar Grand Prix with Mercedes in 2021. Upgrades to the Lusail International Circuit’s facilities then helped to bring F1 back after staying away in 2022 due to the FIFA World Cup.

Max Verstappen is the most successful F1 driver at the Qatar GP

Hamilton won the inaugural running of the Qatar Grand Prix as a Formula 1 race in 2021 for Mercedes. The Lusail International Circuit had already welcomed MotoGP since 2004 and is a renowned motorcycle track, offering a flurry of quick corners plus a host of short straights.

Mercedes saw Hamilton make the difference at F1’s first Qatar GP by taking pole position by 0.597 seconds to Max Verstappen. The Briton was the only driver to post a time in the 1:20s during qualifying, with his best lap a 1:20.827 to beat the 1:21.424 of his rival from Red Bull.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Qatar GP moments with Horner’s ‘rogue marshal’ outburst

Verstappen receiving a five-place grid penalty for ignoring double-waved yellow flags would also help Hamilton win the 2021 Qatar GP by 25.743s, as the Dutchman recovered to secure second place. Fernando Alonso put his Alpine on the podium in P3 but 59.457s off Hamilton.

F1’s return to Lusail in 2023 would also see Verstappen win his first Qatar GP as the Red Bull driver even secured his third consecutive title. Teammate Sergio Perez crashing in the Sprint at the 2023 Qatar GP decided the championship in Verstappen’s favour with five rounds left.

Verstappen celebrated his title triumph by winning the 2023 Qatar GP by 4.833s over Lando Norris and 5.969s over Oscar Piastri with both McLaren drivers reaching the rostrum. Piastri also won the Sprint at the 2023 Qatar GP from pole as the round gained the shortened race.

The Qatar GP has seen one repeat winner as a Formula 1 race

The 2024 Qatar Grand Prix also returned another Verstappen win at Lusail as the Dutchman even celebrated winning another Formula 1 drivers’ title at the previous round in Las Vegas. In doing so, Verstappen became the first repeat winner of the Qatar GP as a Formula 1 race.

The Qatar Grand Prix has seen no F1 drivers claim multiple pole positions

Formula 1 saw the driver who took pole position go on and win the first two runnings of the Qatar GP with Hamilton and Verstappen. But no driver has yet taken multiple poles at Lusail after George Russell inherited P1 on the grid in 2024 as Verstappen got a one-place penalty.

Verstappen was on course to become the first repeat pole position winner for the Qatar GP in 2024 after beating Russell by 0.055s in Q3. Yet the stewards demoted the Dutchman into P2 on the grid after Verstappen dangerously blocked Russell amid their warm-up laps in Q3.

The Qatar GP has seen one repeat F1 Sprint winner

Piastri won the inaugural running of an F1 Sprint at a Qatar Grand Prix with McLaren in 2023 for the highlight result of his rookie season. The Australian eclipsed teammate Norris for pole position by 0.082s and he overcame Mercedes driver Russell to win by using medium tyres.

Team play by the McLaren drivers even saw Piastri become the first repeat winner of an F1 Sprint at the Qatar GP. Norris moved over to let Piastri win the Qatar Sprint in 2024, as the Briton returned the favour as the Australian did so in the Sprint in Brazil two rounds earlier.

Piastri completed a hat-trick of Sprint wins in Lusail at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, when the Melbourne native got his season back on track with pole position before beating Russell by 4.951s. Piastri had not finished in front of Norris and Verstappen in the previous six rounds.