Piastri Secures Sprint Pole in Qatar; Norris Eyes Championship
Qatar Grand Prix, Sprint Qualifying – October 2023
Oscar Piastri claimed pole position for the Sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, emerging victorious in a closely fought qualifying session. Piastri clocked a time just 0.032 seconds ahead of George Russell, while Lando Norris qualified third and reigning world champion Max Verstappen faced challenges, starting from sixth.
This qualifying marks Piastri’s first pole since the Dutch Grand Prix in late August. The Australian cited a strong start in Friday’s Free Practice session as crucial to his success. “It’s been a good day, which is nice for a change. Just a day where things have clicked from the start,” said Piastri. He added he believes there’s potential for an even better lap time: “If you hook it up, there’s a 1m19s in there.”
Norris, who holds a 24-point lead in the championship standings, expressed frustration over missed opportunities during his qualifying attempt, particularly after letting Alex Albon pass on his out-lap. “The pace was there. I just made a mistake in the last corner on my first lap,” he noted, acknowledging that overtaking in the Sprint might be difficult. “I think I’m probably going to finish P3. If I can at least get George off the line, that’s probably the most I can hope for.”
Verstappen’s qualifying session was hindered by significant bouncing and handling issues in his Red Bull. “Not good from the first lap… very aggressive understeer that would shift into oversteer in high speed. With this balance in tomorrow’s Sprint, it will be more about just trying to survive,” he commented, indicating the need for adjustments ahead of the race.
As the teams prepare for the Sprint, attention turns to whether Piastri’s momentum can carry into the next qualifying round and how the McLaren duo will contend with potential threats on the grid.
