#F1 #QatarGP: @OscarPiastri takes crucial #F1Sprint victory.
Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL39, celebrates in Parc Ferme after scoring a crucial F1 Sprint victory, F1 Sprint, Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2025, Lusail International Circuit, Lusail City, Lusail, Qatar. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. Piastri Qatar Sprint Victory, 2025 Qatar GP Sprint, Qatar GP Sprint Results, F1 Qatar GP Sprint.
Piastri Qatar Sprint Victory – Oscar Piastri took a crucial victory in the 100km Qatar GP Sprint to keep his championship aspirations alive beating Mercedes’ George Russell as championship leader Lando Norris rounded out the top three for McLaren. Other title contender Max Verstappen came home fourth and needs to outscore World Driver’s Championship leader Norris tomorrow to remain in contention.
In terms of the Championship – Norris now has 396 points, Piastri is second on 374 and Verstappen has 371.
So, if Norris wins the Grand Prix, he clinches his maiden World Driver’s Crown. Verstappen must finish ahead of Norris to stand any chance of keeping his Championship alive.
When the 19-lap 100km Qatar Sprint began, pole-sitter Piastri got a good getaway into turn one covering Mercedes’ George Russell as behind them championship leader Norris managed to cover Tsunoda into the opening corner to hold third.
Verstappen made his way past Alonso and team-mate Tsunoda to jump into fourth place.
On the second tour – Piastri was out of DRS range from Mercedes’ Russell to be 1.2 seconds clear as Norris held third, Verstappen fourth, Tsunoda fifth, Alonso sixth, Antonelli seventh as Sainz rounded out the top eight.
Hadjar had a good start, he was ninth after starting 11th. Leclerc was down in 13th after running wide at the beginning of the Sprint.
Lap 3 – All eyes were on Verstappen. The Dutchman tried a move on the McLaren into turn 1, but he was not close enough to really try and make something stick on his championship rival. Norris had his work cut out with the charging Red Bull behind them.
The fourth tour – Piastri was leading by 1.3 seconds from Russell, but all the attention was on Verstappen. He was just six tenths back on Norris – but crucially, Norris had managed to close up to Russell and get DRS himself on his fellow British-compatriot.
That will help him defend from the Red Bull – finishing third in the Sprint today would not a bad result for the Championship leader.
Lap five saw Piastri’s lead over Russell at 1.4 seconds with Norris third, Verstappen fourth, Tsunoda fifth, Alonso sixth, Antonelli seventh whilst Sainz completed the top eight.
On the sixth tour – Verstappen had DRS on Norris but he was eight tenths back so not as close as he has been on the championship leader. He had Tsunoda behind, so no danger coming from his team-mate, the Japanese driver playing the team game.
But there was nowhere for Verstappen to make a move at this stage of proceedings.
On lap seven – Another clean lap from Piastri, saw his lead out to 1.5 second over second-placed Russell.
Lap eight – Verstappen could not stay in the dirty air behind Norris any longer. The Dutchman was now 1.3 seconds behind fellow championship contender Norris in the battle for third.
Further back, Antonelli was debating a move on sixth-placed Alonso, and Leclerc was all over the back of Bearman in the fight for 12th.
The ninth tour – Replays showed some debris flying loose from Carlos Sainz’s Williams last time around. The Spaniard was eighth, and on for the final point at this stage.
Lap ten – Race leader Piastri’s gap had increased to two seconds over Russell as Norris held third, Verstappen fourth, Tsunoda fifth, Alonso sixth, Antonelli seventh as Sainz rounded out the final points place.
The 11th lap – Piastri was still leading, so he was on for eight points. Norris will score six as it stands at this stage of proceedings, Verstappen five. This result will leave the Dutchman with it all to do in the Grand Prix tomorrow to stay in the World Driver’s Championship battle.
The cars come out of parc ferme after the Sprint, so the teams can modify their set-ups before Qualifying later today.
The 12th tour – The tyres were wearing slightly more than expected, and the result was a lot of drivers are skating wide and with the tail wind. Tsunoda had received a black and white flag for track limits, whilst Lawson made it past Leclerc by running wide – and now the RB driver had given the place back to be safe.
Antonelli with DRS on lap 13 made a move on the inside of Alonso down the main-straight to move up into sixth place as Tsunoda was given a five-second-timed-penalty for exceeding track limits.
Lap 15 – Race leader Piastri’s lead was at 2.209 seconds over Russell with Norris holding third, Verstappen fourth, Tsunoda who has a five-second-timed-penalty clouded over him in fifth, Antonelli sixth, Alonso seventh, Sainz completing the final points place.
Sainz might have lost some of his bargeboard but his lap times were okay – and he remained eighth, 1.5 seconds clear of Hadjar. His team-mate Alexander was flying; he had DRS on Hadjar in-front.
At the moment, Sainz was the man who needed to get a hurry on, if he wants to close in enough to make sure, he was within five seconds of Tsunoda.
The 16th tour – Piastri was lead from Russell, Norris and Verstappen. But the medium tyres were not hanging on as well as expected.
“I’m getting a bit of vibration,” Piastri reported to the team.
The penultimate tour – Piastri then, who started lap 18 with a 2.6 second lead over Russell, who was 1.8 seconds in-front of Norris. So far, so good for Piastri – he could do anything about where his McLaren team-mate finishes, but he had done what is asked of him in terms of leading off the line.
Piastri crossed the line to take the Qatar GP Sprint by 4.951 seconds over Russell as Norris rounded out the top three.
Verstappen took fourth as Antonelli was promoted to fifth as a result of Tsunoda’s five-second-timed penalty as the Japanese driver fell to sixth.
However, Antonelli was then given a five-second-timed-penalty right at the end for exceeding track limits, so Tsunoda was brought back into fifth place.
Alonso and Sainz completed the final points place in seventh and eighth respectively
You can see the full Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2025 Sprint Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2025 – SPRINT
2025 Qatar GP Sprint – The Top Three
2025 Qatar GP Sprint Winner – Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL39 – (8 Points):
“It’s been a good weekend so far, everything went smoothly in the Sprint. Just need to keep it rolling. The pace has been strong, and it is a track I have enjoyed in the past, and I am enjoying it again, clearly! You have to try and get every bit out of the car that you can, but our pace performance is strong, so it is all about fine-tuning than trying to reinvent the wheel.”
2nd Place – George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W16 – +4.951s – (7 Points):
“A good [Sprint], good to get P2. The last two laps were a real struggle; the track is so quick and brutal on tyres. I was trying to nest [my neck] as much as possible, but it is really cool and glad we have the chance to race around here.”
3rd Place – Lando Norris, #4, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL39 – +6.279s – (6 Points):
“I tried to go forwards [towards Russell], we got pretty close at the start, but it was good,” Norris says of his Sprint. It is hard to pass here, so all about Qualifying. I think it will be close, I don’t think it will be an easy one.”
2025 World Driver’s and Constructor’s Championship Standings to be updated at conclusion of Grand Prix weekend
#F1 #QatarGP #SprintQualifying: @OscarPiastri beats @GeorgeRussell63 to crucial #F1Sprint pole.
