Oscar Piastri claims pole position for Qatar Grand Prix, edging teammate Lando Norris as championship battle intensifies with 22-point gap
OSCAR Piastri secured pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix in a dramatic qualifying session that sets up a thrilling championship finale.
The McLaren driver edged teammate and title rival Lando Norris as time expired in Saturday’s qualifying at the Losail International Circuit.
Piastri had earlier cut Norris’s championship lead to 22 points by winning the sprint race.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the only other driver in title contention, qualified third with a 25-point deficit to Norris.
George Russell claimed fourth position for Mercedes.
Norris initially dominated the final qualifying session before it was interrupted by Carlos Sainz’s incident.
The Williams driver emerged from the pits with plastic wrapping around a tyre that later peeled off on a corner.
After the restart, drivers had time for one flying lap but Norris abandoned his attempt following a poor start.
“I just had a bit of understeer and was going to go off so I had to abort,” said Norris. “Which was a shame, but it’s the way that it is.”
Piastri capitalized perfectly on the opportunity.
“That was mega,” the Australian shouted over team radio.
The fastest qualifier has won all three previous Qatar Grand Prix editions.
However, Max Verstappen won the 2024 race despite being demoted to second on the grid due to a penalty.
Norris remained optimistic about his chances in Sunday’s race.
“You never know. The first couple of laps are always opportunities for everyone but after there I think it’s probably going to be pretty straightforward for everyone too,” he said.
Piastri must finish ahead of Norris to extend the championship battle to the final race.
“It will be a tough race. Hard work but incredibly fun,” said Piastri.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton continued his struggles with Ferrari.
Hamilton posted only the 18th fastest time in Q1 and failed to advance among the 20 cars.
This marked his fifth consecutive early exit from qualifying sessions. – AFP
