Leclerc leads Norris in sole Qatar practice

DOHA :Constructors’ championship rivals Ferrari and McLaren filled the top four places in practice before Qatar Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday, with Charles Leclerc topping the timesheets ahead of Lando Norris.
The pair are also fighting for second overall in a drivers’ championship already won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the fourth year in a row.
Norris, currently second and 21 points ahead of Leclerc, lapped 0.425 slower than Leclerc’s best effort of one minute and 21.953 seconds at the Lusail circuit.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was third, but made a mistake on his lap, and Carlos Sainz fourth for Ferrari.
McLaren, who were last constructors’ champions in 1998, lead Ferrari by 24 points with two rounds remaining and a total of 103 points still to be won in that battle as a result of a Saturday sprint in Qatar.
Verstappen, who clinched the title in Las Vegas last Sunday, was only 11th with team mate Sergio Perez 18th. Red Bull are still in title contention but 53 points behind McLaren.
Yuki Tsunoda was fifth fastest for Red Bull-owned RB with Valtteri Bottas a surprise sixth for Sauber and Lance Stroll seventh for Aston Martin.
George Russell, who led Lewis Hamilton in a one-two in Las Vegas for Mercedes, was eighth after reporting some brake trouble, with Williams’ Alex Albon ninth and seven times champion Hamilton 10th.
The night race is expected to favour McLaren, who won the sprint with Piastri last year before finishing second in the Sunday race ahead of Norris, but Ferrari started the penultimate weekend of the season strongly.