McLaren F1 secured a Sprint double in Qatar, with Norris helping Piastri and repaying a previous victory for the team’s success.
Oscar Piastri won the Qatar Sprint after Lando Norris let him pass on the final straight, repaying the victory he had received on team orders in the Brazil Sprint. The McLaren F1 driver was satisfied with his race start, despite struggling with his tires.
“It was all about defense for the whole race, to be honest. I had a good start, a good first corner, but I didn’t have the pace, I burned through the tires quickly, and I was struggling for the rest of the Sprint. But a great team effort, and it would’ve been tough without that. A great double for McLaren,” said the Australian.
“Here, the performance difference between qualifying and the race is probably the smallest. In many places, we have a 5 or 6-second gap, but here the grip is different, and we push throughout the race. We’ll try to make both the car and the driver faster!”
After his performances from the previous day and the Sprint, Piastri doesn’t rule out securing pole for the race: “I think so, it’s very close. From first to fifth or sixth, there’s only two or three tenths. We have a few small things to improve, but everyone is keeping us on our toes.”
Lando Norris praised the 15 points scored by McLaren, who now have a 30-point lead over Ferrari: “We got the double, which was our goal today. We took the maximum points, we’re happy, and the team did everything perfectly.”
“The pace was good, I could’ve attacked a bit more, but we wanted to keep the others behind, so I helped ensure George didn’t get too close. We did the job today, and that’s the most important thing.”
He confirmed it was his decision and initiative to let Piastri pass: “It was tighter than I would’ve liked! But I had planned to do that since Brazil. I thought it was the right time, though it was a bit close. The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could pull it off, and it worked.”
“It doesn’t bother me, I’m not here to win Sprints, I’m here to win races. And a championship, but that didn’t go as planned! I did the best I could, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Despite cooler temperatures, the Losail circuit is more physical this year: “It was tough, my neck isn’t too happy. It’s going to be a tough race in these cold conditions, with the wind. The track is faster than last year, and it’s more physical than I expected. It’s a challenge, you have to be fit, but I’ll be fine!”
- Discover More>Norris Hands Piastri Sprint Win, McLaren Nears Title
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McLaren F1 Achieves Sprint Double with Team Effort McLaren F1 Achieves Sprint Double with Team Effort
