F1 Sprint race results: Carlos Sainz P4, Charles Leclerc P5 for Ferrari at Lusail. Results and report from the last Sprint race of the 2024 F1 season in Qatar.

Here is our full text transcript from the last Sprint race of the 2024 Formula 1 season, which was held at the 5.419-kilometre Lusail International Circuit:

It’s nearly time for the final Sprint of the 2024 season.

The sixth and final short-form Saturday race of the year – which here will last for 19 laps of Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit – starts at 2pm and sees Lando Norris lead a one-three for McLaren on the grid as the Woking team attempt to make what appears a pace advantage this weekend count and move a step closer to their first Constructors’ Championship title since 1998.

Mercedes’ George Russell starts between Norris and Oscar Piastri after another impressive showing in Sprint Qualifying less than a week on from his win in Las Vegas, while McLaren’s main rivals Ferrari are back in fourth and fifth. A maximum of 15 points are available for a team in the Sprint , eight for first and seven for second, and McLaren will be keen to bank all of those if they can.

Charles Leclerc admitted Ferrari came “back to reality” as Lando Norris took Sprint pole at the Qatar Grand Prix to boost McLaren’s hopes of holding on to their Constructors’ Championship lead.

Ferrari’s strong recent form has seen them close to within 24 points of McLaren at the top of the standings with two rounds remaining, but predictions that the Lusail International Circuit would suit the leaders came to fruition on Friday.

A surprise appeared to be in store when Leclerc topped first practice, but Lando Norris took Sprint pole ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, with the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri taking third ahead of the Monegasque and his team-mate Carlos Sainz.

“We gave it our all and are only P4 and P5, which is not great considering how important this weekend is,” Charles Leclerc said – “Let’s say, for whatever reason, FP1 was a lot above our expectations. This I will say is in line with what we expected. We are coming back to reality. Obviously after FP1 there were hopes we could do something better but we didn’t.”

Interestingly, Ferrari only have one set of hard tyres left. That could be important tomorrow. We expect everyone to use the medium tyres in the Sprint.

Quite remarkably, Ferrari have failed to win any of 17 Sprints that have been held since Formula 1 introduced the format in 2021. That streak appears likely to extend into 2025 with Carlos Sainz starting fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth today. However, perhaps the bigger question for Ferrari is whether they have the long-run pace to hang with McLaren and keep themselves in the Constructors’ Championship fight for the remainder of the weekend.

As expected, all 20 drivers will start on the medium tyres, apart from Zhou Guanyu who is on the softs from 18th.

Lap 1/19: He’s done it comfortably this time – Lando Norris holds the lead into Turn One from pole! And Oscar Piastri is up to second ahead of George Russell after overtaking down the inside into Turn Two. McLaren run one two!

Lap 1/19: Lewis Hamilton makes a great start and is into fifth place, after starting from seventh. He gets ahead of Charles Leclerc and holds him off in the middle sector.

Lap 1/19: Probably the worst start to a race Max Verstappen has had for a long time – he’s dropped from sixth to ninth! Out of the points for the Sprint at the moment, behind Pierre Gasly in the Alpine.

Lap 2/19: Oscar Piastri has George Russell right on him in the early stages of this Sprint, as Lando Norris, crucially, gets out of DRS range.

Lap 3/19: Start of the third lap with DRS now enabled and as George Russell has a faint look down the inside of Oscar Piastri towards the Turn One braking zone before thinking better of it, Lando Norris leads by 1.2s. Carlos Sainz runs fourth ahead of the fast-starting Lewis Hamilton.

Lap 4/19: George Russell goes for it into Turn One on Oscar Piastri but the McLaren driver hangs it around the outside and somehow stays in second place.

Lap 7/19: Everyone, apart from Lando Norris, has DRS in the top five. Norris is helping Piastri by keeping him within one second, so Russell can’t overtake the second McLaren driver. Then come Sainz and Hamilton right there too for good measure.

Lap 8/19: So that’s a point for Max Verstappen in this Sprint as it stands as he makes a move to gain one of his lost positions back with a move down the inside of Pierre Gasly with DRS into Turn One.

Lap 9/19: Russell forces Piastri to look in his mirrors as he darts to the inside into Turn One again, but is not as close this time compared to a few laps again. No change in the top positions.

Lap 10/19: Hamilton drops out of DRS range from Sainz, as he saves his tyres and now Leclerc is on the back of the seven-time world champion in the battle for fifth.

Lap 12/19: The pace is still very high at the front as Carlos Sainz sets a new fastest lap from fourth place. Everyone still has DRS on each other in the top six as Norris leads Piastri and Russell.

Leclerc overtakes Hamilton after mighty tussle!
Lap 13/19: Sensational racing between the 2025 Ferrari team-mates in a battle for fifth! Charles Leclerc got a great run on Lewis Hamilton down the main straight and went for the inside on the Mercedes, but the seven-time world champion held on brilliantly around the outside. Whether or not they made slight contact is beside the point, the drivers raced beautifully wheel-to-wheel for several corners before the Ferrari finally got ahead.

Lap 14/19: Piastri is forced to cover the inside this time as Russell goes for it, but the McLaren driver holds on.

Lap 15/19: Piastri lost a lot of time when fending off Russell but Norris slows down to help his McLaren team-mate and give him DRS.

Piastri loses DRS
Lap 18/19: Piastri does not have DRS this time on Norris but Russell is not close enough to make a move. Sainz is still there in fourth and it looks like Leclerc and Hamilton will stay where they are.

Norris gifts Piastri Sprint win in return for Sao Paulo! Chequered Flag: Wow, Lando Norris had that such under control that he could even allow his team-mate to overtake him on the run to the finish line so Oscar Piastri could win the Sprint!

Remember, Piastri gifted Norris a win at the last Sprint event in Sao Paulo earlier this month. McLaren one-two and a big early boost to their constructors’ title hopes. George Russell stayed third despite that late McLaren choreography.