Follow live updates from the Qatar Grand Prix weekend as McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull fight for the 2024 constructors’ championship

Lando Norris bounced back from his F1 championship defeat to secure pole position for Saturday’s sprint race in Qatar. The British driver, mocked by Max Verstappen for failing to win the title in a McLaren deemed superior to the rest of the field,

McLaren's Lando Norris took pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix sprint on Friday with Mercedes' George Russell denying the Formula One leaders a front row lockout by pushing Oscar Piastri down to third.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) announced that it had acquired a significant minority stake in Sauber Holding AG, which will become Audi’s F1 factory team in 2026.

The sovereign wealth fund of Qatar is acquiring a “significant minority stake” in what will become Audi's works Formula 1 team from 2026, in a deal announced Friday ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. A joint statement said the Qatar Investment Authority will be “a long-term investor and partner” and provide “a substantial capital injection” that will help the team expand its infrastructure.

The Qatar Investment Authority is buying a stake in the Audi Formula One racing team, joining other Gulf sovereign funds who have been channeling their vast wealth into global sports franchises.