Oscar Piastri secured a dramatic victory in the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint, thanks to a tactical display from his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. Norris played a key role in helping Piastri secure the win, having stayed within DRS range throughout the 19-lap race, enabling Piastri to fend off the challenge from Mercedes’ George Russell. Norris, who initially seemed on course to claim the victory himself, let Piastri pass at the finish line, ensuring his younger teammate took the win. Norris later admitted that the move was part of a long-planned strategy to repay Piastri for sacrificing the Brazil Sprint victory earlier in the season.
The race began with Norris, who had started from pole, leading into Turn 1. Russell, who had started alongside him, found himself under immediate pressure from Piastri. The Australian executed a bold move around the outside of Turn 2 to claim second place. While Norris pulled ahead early, Piastri faced continued pressure from Russell, who was able to close in once he had DRS, prompting Piastri to defend strongly during the opening laps.
Norris then deliberately slowed down, staying within DRS range of Piastri, to provide the necessary assistance. His goal was to keep Piastri in a strong position to defend against Russell, which allowed McLaren to maximize their chance for a 1-2 finish. As Norris struggled with his front tires, McLaren instructed him to continue supporting Piastri, which he did willingly.
In the final lap, Piastri lost DRS, opening the door for Russell to make a late attack. However, Piastri held firm and was able to secure the victory as he passed Norris, who had slowed significantly to allow the move.
Elsewhere in the race, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished in fourth and fifth, with Leclerc making an impressive pass on Lewis Hamilton for fifth. Max Verstappen, who had struggled with oversteer, finished in eighth. The race also saw notable performances from Nico Hulkenberg, who took seventh, and Kevin Magnussen, who made a strong recovery to finish tenth. At the back, both Zhou Guanyu and Sergio Perez faced difficulties, with Perez starting from the pit lane after a poor start and Zhou’s soft tire strategy failing to yield results.
