Summary

  • Verstappen wins; Leclerc 2nd; Piastri 3rd

  • Norris handed penalty for not slowing under yellow flags

  • Norris close to taking lead after safety car restart

  • Hamilton and Sainz suffer punctures from broken wing mirror on track

  • Verstappen took lead from Russell off line

  • Norris up to second by first corner

  • Ocon, Colapinto out after first-lap collision

  • Stroll, Perez, Hulkenberg out

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  1. There's a brief wave of the yellow flags and it is because someone appears to have lost their wing mirror on the track. That probably needs shifting.

  2. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Understeer is so slow and as a racing driver you want a car that turns in well, the last thing you want is an understeery balance.

  3. George Russell is on the fresher tyre but is struggling to get past Fernando Alonso. He's lapping around a second slower than the top three, who are still on mediums.

    George RussellGetty Images

  4. Kevin Magnussen pits, switches to hard tyres and is back out in 18th, behind Liam Lawson.

  5. George Russell seems to be having balance issues on the hard tyres, saying "the car's not turning now" over the radio.

  6. None of the other front runners have responded to George Russell's stop and gone in as well. They are staying out there for now.

  7. Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator

    McLaren need to leave Qatar with a 45 point gap ahead of Ferrari regardless of where they finish in order to have won the constructors' championship.

  8. So as things stand it is Max Verstappen leading in the Red Bull, then two McLarens and two Ferraris.

    Should that stay the same it won't be enough for McLaren to win the constructors' championship here.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  9. Seven-second stop time for Russell

    Rosanna Tennant
    5 Live F1 reporter in Qatar

    Oh no, the rear right got stuck [on George Russell's] car and it didn't come off quick enough but they've but the hard tyres on. That was a slow stop for Mercedes, a seven-second stop time, not ideal when he's trying to hold on to a podium position.

  10. George Russell is back out in 11th, behind Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen as a result of that slow stop.

  11. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    All of these front runners will be looking and trying to find a gap in which to slot into if they were to pit early.

  12. George Russell blinks first as he pits from third to move onto a set of hards.

    That elevates Oscar Piastri for now but it is a slow stop for Russell, seven seconds as they struggle with the right rear. That's cost him three places on his return to the track. Frustration for Mercedes.

    George RussellGetty Images

  13. Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator

    We are all waiting for who will pull the trigger first to come into the pits, who can eek these tyres, these medium compound tyres out.

  14. Another little wobble for Oscar Piastri at the final corner and he's going to have to wait again for a chance to try and get past the Mercedes.

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

  15. Battle for third

    Oscar Piastri looks to be reeling in George Russell again with 0.6s between them.

  16. Pierre Gasly, in 10th, was just starting to get a bit closer to Kevin Magnussen but the Haas pulls away a little and he's just over a second clear of Gasly.

  17. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Andrew Priestley: The relative tyre wear at the end of this first stint between Verstappen and Norris will decide the outcome of this race. Who has the most life left in the tyre so they can put in the quickest lap times just ahead of the scheduled pit stops will be the difference-maker.

  18. 'McLaren comes alive towards end of a stint'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    We know the McLaren car this year has been good on the tyre life and tends to come alive a little bit towards the end of a stint. Although just as we say that, Max Verstappen pumps in the fastest lap of the race.

  19. We're 20 laps into this first stint and tyres have been the talk of some communications between teams and drivers.

    Max Verstappen goes even quicker out in front.

  20. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I think running low tyre pressures and taking a lot of kerb leaves you quite susceptible to a puncture on the kerb striking.