McLaren driver Oscar Piastri transformed his Sprint pole into a dominant Sprint win in Qatar, tightening the fight for the Formula 1 drivers’ championship against teammate Lando Norris.
The Australian driver controlled the race from the start and never looked under threat, taking victory in the final Sprint of the season. George Russell secured second place, while Lando Norris completed the top three after a clean but hard-fought run.
Oscar Piastri’s triumph trims Norris’ advantage in the standings to 22 points. This now leaves Norris needing to outscore his teammate by at least three points in the Qatar Grand Prix to clinch the world championship with one round to spare.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen climbed from sixth to fourth, salvaging solid points, but he now sits 25 points behind Norris. The Dutchman’s Sprint was again marked by repeated complaints over severe bouncing in his Red Bull, an issue that continues to limit his pace.
Result Sprint race – Qatar
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   Oscar Piastri | McLaren | LAP 19 |  |
| 2 |   George Russell | Mercedes | +4.951 | |
| 3 |  Lando Norris | McLaren | +6.279 |  |
| 4 |   Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +9.054 | |
| 5 |   Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +19.327 | |
| 6 |   Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +21.391 | |
| 7 |   Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +24.556 | |
| 8 |  Carlos Sainz | Williams | +27.333 | |
| 9 |   Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +28.206 | |
| 10 |   Alexander Albon | Williams | +28.925 | |
| 11 |   Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake | +32.966 | |
| 12 |  Oliver Bearman | Haas | +34.529 | |
| 13 |   | Ferrari | +35.182 | |
| 14 |   Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +36.916 | |
| 15 |  Esteban Ocon | Haas | +38.838 | |
| 16 |   Nico Hulkenberg | Stake | +39.638 | |
| 17 |  Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +46.171 | |
| 18 |  Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +69.534 |  |
| 19 |   Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +77.960 | |
| 20 |   Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +80.804 | |
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