Lando Norris helps Oscar Piastri to victory in Qatar, as McLaren moves closer to securing the Constructors’ Championship with Russell in third.
The first points will be awarded during the Qatar Grand Prix, in the F1 Sprint taking place this afternoon. The sixth and final Sprint of the season is held at the Losail circuit, playing a crucial role in the constructors’ championship battle.
Lando Norris starts from pole position ahead of George Russell and Oscar Piastri, while Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz line up in fourth and fifth. As it stands, McLaren would gain ground in the championship in their quest for the world title.
Max Verstappen is sixth on the grid, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly, with Nico Hülkenberg and Liam Lawson behind them. Alpine, Haas, and RB F1 are battling for sixth place, making this fight also vital for the constructors’ standings.
Fernando Alonso is 11th, ahead of Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, and Kevin Magnussen. Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, and Guanyu Zhou complete the grid, with 18 drivers set to start.
Sergio Pérez and Franco Colapinto, qualifying 16th and 20th, have opted to change suspension settings and will start from the pit lane. For Red Bull and Williams, this is initial work ahead of the Parc Fermé between the Sprint and qualifying sessions.
It is worth noting that Pérez and Tsunoda were reprimanded for being too slow during a non-timed lap in the Sprint Qualifying, but the FIA showed leniency and issued only warnings to both drivers.
14:56: It’s confirmed that conditions are much more reasonable than in 2023, with air temperature at 21°C and track temperature at 26°C.
14:58: Zhou has chosen soft tires, while the rest of the drivers are on medium compounds.
Start: A great start for Norris, and especially for Piastri, who manages to pass Russell on the outside at the exit of Turn 1! The two McLarens are now in the lead, while Leclerc had a poor start, losing two positions to Sainz and Russell.
Lap 1: Verstappen also had a bad start and finds himself in ninth, out of the points. Hülkenberg and Gasly passed him, while Lawson has dropped to the second half of the field.
Lap 2: Tsunoda overtakes Colapinto, while Pérez remains in last place. He was passed in the pit lane at the start, with Colapinto reacting quicker to the green light.
Lap 3: Norris sets the fastest lap with a 1:25.961, and the McLarens are the only cars turning in under 1:26. However, Russell remains close behind Piastri.
Lap 4: Piastri sets the fastest lap of the race in 1:25.890, and Russell improves it with a 1:25.803. Russell presses Piastri but the Australian holds onto second, allowing Sainz to close within one second. Russell complains that Piastri blocked him.
Lap 5: Sainz posts the fastest lap in 1:25.747 and closes into Russell’s DRS zone. The entire lead group is now tightening up behind Norris, who has lost some pace.
Lap 6: The top five are within 3 seconds of each other, with Leclerc not far behind.
Lap 7: Hamilton sets the fastest lap in 1:25.665, but is immediately beaten by Leclerc with a 1:25.522. Norris explains that he is trying to give DRS to Piastri to protect him from Russell’s attacks.
Lap 8: Tsunoda, Colapinto, and Pérez have passed Zhou, whose soft tires are already degrading, as he posts a 1:30.1, compared to Tsunoda’s 1:27.3.
Lap 9: Russell attacks Piastri again, but the Australian holds his position. Verstappen sets the fastest lap in 1:25.224, but is still 1.7 seconds behind Hülkenberg.
Lap 10: Leclerc posts the fastest lap in 1:25.110. Zhou pits after losing several seconds due to his worn soft tires.
Lap 11: Norris tries to increase the pace with a 1:25.067, bringing Piastri along with him. The gap between the McLarens widens to nearly a second.
Lap 12: Norris sets the fastest lap in 1:24.916, only to be surpassed by Sainz with a 1:24.904. McLaren informs Norris that Piastri is still under threat from Russell, which is why the leader has increased the pace.
Lap 13: Norris sets another fastest lap in 1:24.744, but Russell improves again with a 1:24.555. Leclerc attacks Hamilton, who defends fiercely, with the two future teammates side-by-side through three corners before Leclerc takes fifth. A great battle, clean and fair.
Lap 14: Norris continues to push with a 1:24.329. Russell attacks Piastri, who is now out of Norris’ DRS range, but the Australian defends and shuts the door. Verstappen passes Gasly for eighth.
Lap 15: Pérez pits for a front wing change, likely for a real-world test, while Norris is struggling with his tires. The Briton asks what he should do, and his team advises him to conserve and assist Piastri.
Lap 16: The top four are within 2.5 seconds of each other, with Leclerc 3 seconds behind Sainz. Hamilton is one second behind his future teammate, and Hülkenberg is less than three seconds behind the Briton. Verstappen remains 1.6 seconds behind the Haas.
Lap 17: Piastri is now just six-tenths behind Norris, with Russell six-tenths behind Piastri, while Sainz is seven-tenths behind the Mercedes.
Lap 18: Leclerc sets the fastest lap in 1:24.203, but is still over two and a half seconds behind Sainz. Up front, the gaps have widened in this penultimate lap.
Final lap: Leclerc sets the fastest lap of the race in 1:23.923, while Russell unsuccessfully tries to attack Piastri. The order is unlikely to change before the finish, with Norris playing his role in providing slipstream and DRS to Piastri.
Finish: Norris lets Piastri through, giving the Australian the Sprint win in Brazil! Piastri takes the Qatar Sprint victory ahead of Norris and Russell, who finishes 0.274 seconds behind. Sainz finishes fourth, followed by Leclerc, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, and Verstappen.
McLaren scores 15 points, and Ferrari earns 9 points, widening the gap to 30 points in favor of McLaren. The Woking team could secure the Constructors’ World Title tomorrow, provided they score 15 more points than Ferrari.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 19 Laps- 28m01.044s |
| 02 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +0.136 |
| 03 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | +0.410 |
| 04 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | +1.326 |
| 05 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | +5.073 |
| 06 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | +5.650 |
| 07 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +8.508 |
| 08 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | +10.368 |
| 09 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | +14.513 |
| 10 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +15.485 |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +19.204 |
| 12 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +23.351 |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +24.421 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | +30.379 |
| 15 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | +33.062 |
| 16 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +34.356 |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +35.102 |
| 18 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | +35.639 |
| 19 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +71.436 |
| 20 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | +74.371 |
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Russell Third in Qatar as McLaren Close in on Title
Russell Third in Qatar as McLaren Close in on Title Russell Third in Qatar as McLaren Close in on Title
Russell Third in Qatar as McLaren Close in on Title
