Piastri Claims Maiden Pole at Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying
Oscar Piastri secured his first pole position in any format since the Dutch Grand Prix with a stunning qualifying performance for the Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix. The McLaren driver edged out George Russell by a mere 0.032 seconds, setting a new track record of 1:20.055.
Lando Norris, the current championship leader, qualified third, while Max Verstappen faced challenges, finishing in sixth place. Both Verstappen and Norris initially led during SQ1 and SQ2 on medium tires, but Piastri’s switch to soft compounds proved decisive.
Russell had temporarily moved to the top of the timesheets by improving his lap time by 0.441 seconds, pressuring McLaren drivers to respond. However, Piastri delivered a flawless final sector after a momentary scare at Turn 4, ultimately reclaiming the top spot.
“I’ve had a good day; things clicked from the start,” Piastri commented. “Thanks to the team for a great car. We’ve looked solid this weekend.”
Russell’s second-place finish marked a significant turnaround for Mercedes, following struggles with soft tires in practice. Meanwhile, Norris struggled with track position and was unable to improve on his final lap due to a mishap that compromised his exit speed.
Fernando Alonso finished fourth, with his Aston Martin 0.395 seconds off the pace, followed closely by Yuki Tsunoda and Verstappen, who were 0.464 and 0.473 seconds adrift, respectively. Notably, this was the first time this season that Tsunoda outqualified Verstappen.
Verstappen expressed frustration over the car’s bouncing and understeer, impacting his qualifying performance. Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh, followed by Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Alex Albon rounding out the top ten.
Isack Hadjar’s fastest lap time was invalidated for exceeding track limits, dropping him to 11th. Other results included Oliver Bearman qualifying 12th for Haas, with his teammate Esteban Ocon finishing 15th.
Lewis Hamilton had a particularly disappointing session, finishing 18th, after being the first to take the flag in SQ1. “The car won’t go any quicker,” Hamilton lamented, reflecting on consecutive poor qualifications.
Qualifying Results – Qatar Grand Prix Sprint:
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:20.055
- George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.032
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.044
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +0.395
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.464
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.473
- Kimi Antonelli – +0.537
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +0.579
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.612
- Alex Albon (Williams) – +0.703
This qualifying session sets the stage for an exciting Sprint race, with Piastri aiming to capitalize on his momentum.
