Max Verstappen and Lando Norris had to undergo late repairs on their cars after both drivers picked up damage during Friday’s sprint qualifying in Qatar. The pair ran through gravel sections at different points in the session, causing issues that needed attention before the sprint race.
Norris wrapped up qualifying in third place, earning a position on the second row behind Oscar Piastri and George Russell. Verstappen, meanwhile, had a tougher run and could only manage sixth place, lining up behind his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Both drivers’ cars were visibly affected during the session. Verstappen’s Red Bull suffered multiple areas of damage, while Norris’ McLaren also required work after his off-track moments. Their teams carried out necessary updates overnight to ensure the cars were ready for the sprint.
Red Bull replaced several components on Verstappen’s car, including the floor assembly (minus the plank and skids), the cantilever assembly, the keel panel, and the right-side rear brake duct bracket. McLaren, on the other hand, fitted a new floor assembly on Norris’ machine, changed his brake master cylinder, and updated the corresponding system parameters.
Although many teams made adjustments across the grid, all repairs on Verstappen’s and Norris’ cars complied with F1 technical rules. As a result, neither driver received a penalty. However, other drivers elsewhere in the field were forced to start from the pit lane after more extensive modifications.
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