Oscar Piastri has claimed victory within the Sprint on the Qatar Grand Prix after crew mate Lando Norris – who had led the occasion all through – pulled over to let his fellow McLaren driver by on the final second, seemingly paying the Australian again for his or her earlier change throughout the Sprint occasion in Sao Paulo.
After making a robust launch from pole place when Saturday’s occasion received beneath method on the Lusail International Circuit, Norris sailed into the lead from the off whereas Piastri quickly took P2 from George Russell, with the scrap between the second McLaren and the Mercedes taking part in out for a lot of the 19-lap sprint.
Piastri managed to carry onto second place all through – earlier than that grew to become P1 within the dying seconds when Norris pulled apart simply earlier than the chequered flag to permit his crew mate by, giving the 23-year-old one other Qatar Sprint win after taking victory in the identical occasion final 12 months.
Russell needed to accept third, whereas Carlos Sainz was shut behind in fourth for Ferrari forward of crew mate Charles Leclerc, who had gained out in an exhilarating 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 only one observe session on Friday, Sprint Qualifying had determined the grid for the ultimate 100km sprint of the season, a format that awards factors to the highest eight finishers from a most of eight for P1 down to 1 for P8.
