(Photo: Formula 1)
Norris Reverses Positions On last Corner In McLaren One-Two Finish
Oscar Piastri has claimed victory in the Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix after team mate Lando Norris – who had led the event throughout – pulled over to let his fellow McLaren driver through at the very last moment, seemingly paying the Australian back for their previous switch during the Sprint event in Sao Paulo.
After making a strong launch from pole position when Saturday’s event got under way at the Lusail International Circuit, Norris sailed into the lead from the off while Piastri soon took P2 from George Russell, with the scrap between the second McLaren and the Mercedes playing out for much of the 19-lap dash.
Piastri managed to hold onto second place throughout – before that became P1 in the dying seconds when Norris pulled aside just before the chequered flag to allow his team mate through, giving the 23-year-old another Qatar Sprint win after taking victory in the same event last year.
Russell had to settle for third, while Carlos Sainz was close behind in fourth for Ferrari ahead of team mate Charles Leclerc, who had won out in a thrilling battle with Lewis Hamilton. This put the seven-time world champion in sixth, and Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen rounded out the points-paying positions in seventh and eighth respectively.
After just one practice session on Friday, Sprint Qualifying had decided the grid for the final 100km dash of the season, a format that awards points to the top eight finishers from a maximum of eight for P1 down to one for P8.
It was very much advantage Norris during the session, with the Briton topping SQ1 and SQ2 before following that up with an impressive pole position-worthy lap in SQ3. But a McLaren front row lockout was disrupted by Russell, who surged through to snatch P2 from Piastri in the final minutes.
Two alterations to the Sprint starting grid were confirmed ahead of the event getting under way, as Sergio Perez and Franco Colapinto – who were both eliminated in SQ1 – would start from the pit lane after changes were made to their cars during parc ferme conditions.
When the cars lined up on the grid and the tyre blankets were removed, it was revealed that everybody had opted for the medium compound – with the exception of Zhou Guanyu, whose Kick Sauber was sporting the soft tyres.
As the lights went out for the 19-lap encounter in warm but slightly windy conditions, Norris sailed into the lead from the off while Piastri was looking racy, the Australian going on to take second from Russell into Turn 2 after going side-by-side with the Mercedes.
The other Silver Arrows car of Hamilton, meanwhile, enjoyed a lightning start, the seven-time world champion seemingly keen to make up for his disappointment post-Sprint Qualifying by overtaking Verstappen and Leclerc to move up into fifth.
Speaking of Verstappen, the Sprint did not get off to a good start for the Dutchman, who had soon slipped down to outside of the points in P9. But those in contention to score were Norris, Piastri, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly.
That order looked to be under threat on Lap 4 as Russell was increasingly putting Piastri under pressure. Russell tried to find a way through into Turn 1, but the McLaren managed to narrowly hold the position. “He just ******* turned into me!” an angry Russell claimed.
Meanwhile replays showed Verstappen struggling at the start, with the new world champion reporting oversteer in his Red Bull. Team mate Perez did not look to be having a good day, either, as the Mexican found himself running at the back following his pit lane start.
Another driver who endured a tough launch was Liam Lawson, who had slipped down from P10 to P17. But the RB man managed to gain a position on team mate Yuki Tsunoda as the laps ticked down, putting him up into P16. Verstappen was also on the move, having picked off Gasly for eighth place on Lap 8.
The gaps throughout the pack remained close as the Sprint edged towards its halfway point, with Norris leading Piastri by just eight-tenths while Russell was within similar range of the second-placed McLaren – and Sainz followed by less than one second in fourth.
Further back, Zhou’s gamble on the soft tyres had failed to pay off, leading Kick Sauber to pit the Chinese driver for the medium rubber. Meanwhile Hamilton looked to be struggling a little following his rapid start, with future team mate Leclerc close on his tail in the fight for fifth.
By Lap 13 Leclerc could wait no more, the Monegasque going side-by-side with Hamilton into Turn 2. The pair continued to run alongside each other into the next corner but it was Leclerc who ultimately came out on top.
Elsewhere, Hamilton’s team mate Russell again tried to get Piastri for P2 on the main straight, only for the Australian to defend with a late move which sparked the ire of Russell once more. Up ahead, Norris reported struggling with his front tyres, while Perez pitted for a new front wing at the back of the field.
As the Sprint entered into its final laps, Norris was leading Piastri by over one second – but Russell was still within catching distance of the latter. Could McLaren hold on to a one-two? Despite again having a look into Turn 1, Russell was still unable to find a way through.
With the chequered flag approaching, Norris looked to be dropping back to his team mate – before then moving aside on the approach to the line to enable Piastri to sweep through and take victory, a payback for Piastri doing this in the Sao Paulo Sprint to aid Norris’ championship bid.
Russell completed the top-three following his determined drive, with Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Verstappen claiming the remaining points on offer from fourth to eighth.
The result has given McLaren a boost in their charge for the constructors’ title, with the Woking outfit now leading Ferrari by 30 points.
Key quote
“It was about defence for the whole race to be honest,” said Piastri. “I had a good start and a good Turn 1 obviously, and then just didn’t quite have the pace. I think I killed the front a little bit early on and then I was struggling a bit for the rest of the Sprint.
“Some great teamwork, I think without that help it would have been a much more difficult Sprint. Nice to have a McLaren one-two.”
What’s next?
Following the Sprint, the drivers will next hit the track during qualifying for the Grand Prix later on Saturday, with the session set to begin at 2100 local time. Head to the RACE HUB to find out how you can follow the action.
Formula One Media | Photos: Formula 1
