How weather might play a role in Qatar as championship-defining Saturday looms
Let’s take a look at the weather forecast for the Qatar Grand Prix weekend after Friday's proceedings.
Oscar Piastri took sprint qualifying pole position as he rediscovered his form, putting the pressure on his teammate and the championship leader, Lando Norris, who could only finish P3.
Since Qatar joined the Formula 1 calendar in 2021, the race has never really thrown up any weather surprises. Every Grand Prix so far has been run in hot, dry conditions that have pushed both tyres and drivers right to the limit.
Friday set the tone for the weekend with clear skies and no threat of rain, with light winds throughout the day. Temperatures for the sole practice session hit around 25–26°C, before temperatures eased to roughly 22°C for Sprint qualifying in the evening.
Saturday should follow the same pattern: dry conditions all day, with the Sprint taking place at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT), with temperatures expected to be around 25°C, dropping by a degree come the end of the session.
Track temperature will vary between 35°C and 32°C during the sprint race, and then the mercury will drop to around 22°C for qualifying at 21:00 local time (18:00 GMT). Track temperature will also drop to 26°C, while only very light winds will hit the Losail International Circuit.
Sunday’s Grand Prix is shaping up to be another dry day. Light north-easterly winds and stable conditions are expected, with temperatures hitting 24°C at the start of the race before dropping to 21°C in the second hour of the Grand Prix, while the track temperature will drop from 29°C to 25°C.
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2025 Qatar GP – Full Schedule
Losail plays host to the penultimate chapter of the 2025 campaign and the season’s final sprint weekend, acting as the last major storyline before everything moves to Abu Dhabi — a finale that could once again crown the world champion, just as it did back in 2021.
The spotlight is firmly on the title contenders: can Max Verstappen drag the fight all the way to Yas Marina, or will Lando Norris close the deal and clinch his first world championship right here under the Qatari lights?
The Dutchman will have it all to do on Saturday after he could only finish sprint qualifying in P6, while Piastri and Norris see themselves split by the Mercedes of George Russell in P2, giving Piastri a buffer as he looks to overturn the 24-point deficit between himself and his teammate
Here’s how the rest of the weekend unfolds.
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This is the provisional grid for the F1 Qatar GP sprint race
