The desert heat did little to tame the turbulence as the opening session of the Qatar Grand Prix delivered its own brand of unpredictability!

Calm Composure Kicks Off The Session

Championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli wasted no time asserting control, planting an early benchmark of 1:40.34. The Invicta Racing driver ended up setting the fastest time of the session—a 1:38.656—clocking it on his final run of the 45-minute outing.

Behind him, Dino Beganovic of Hitech TGR secured P2, while Alexander Dunne of Rodin Motorsport completed the top three, signaling a fiercely competitive field already on the attack.

Determined to reduce his deficit to the championship leader, Jak Crawford put in relentless laps. Every run looked like a test of adaptation, and while he never quite matched Fornaroli’s ultimate pace, the intent was unmistakable: the gap will not be given freely.

Skids And Skates On Track

As the track grew trickier, off-track moments began stacking up. Multiple drivers found themselves skating across the circuit, but Luke Browning managed to keep his moments in check just long enough to vault himself to the top of the times temporarily.
Yet even he wasn’t immune, with a lock-up sending him sliding off the track.

New arrivals James Wharton and 2025 runner-up Nikola Tsolov stepped into the session eager to establish themselves. Both showed flashes of promise, attacking the lap with commitment despite the shifting sands.

But Wharton’s push came undone when he spun into a sand trap. Martinius Stenshorne provided the standout moment however, as he sliced straight through a patch of grass, rejoining with as little drama as possible for a decidedly dramatic moment.

Qualifying Up Ahead

With sand continuing to sweep across the circuit and drivers still hunting for balance, the Qatar GP weekend is shaping up to be anything but predictable.