McLaren teammates split the front row fight while Russell slips between them; Verstappen struggles to sixth.
Oscar Piastri secured pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race, giving the McLaren driver a strong start in his fight to stay in the title race. His teammate, championship leader Lando Norris, will start third after a challenging session that included damage to his car floor and a slow final lap in traffic. George Russell’s clean run put the Mercedes driver second on the grid.
Norris enters the weekend with a chance to win his first Formula 1 world title. While he cannot seal it in the sprint, he can become champion in Sunday’s grand prix if he scores two more points than both Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Piastri led the session with two strong laps, keeping himself in contention as he tries to close the 24-point gap to Norris. Norris showed early speed but lost momentum after his mistake at the final corner and traffic from Alex Albon.
Verstappen, who is tied with Piastri in the standings, endured a difficult session. His car was bouncing, and a wide moment at Turn Four damaged his floor and slowed him enough to place him sixth. It was the first time his teammate Yuki Tsunoda out-qualified him this season.
Away from the title battle, Fernando Alonso delivered one of the standout drives of the day. The Aston Martin driver qualified fourth, a rare high point this season for a team that sits eighth in the constructors’ standings.
Kimi Antonelli placed seventh for Mercedes, while Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Alex Albon filled out the rest of the top ten. Lewis Hamilton gave little reaction after his run, saying only that the car felt similar to previous sessions.
The sprint race pays eight points for the winner and one point for eighth place, setting up a crucial fight before Sunday’s title-deciding grand prix.
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