Lando Norris delivered a stunning performance to claim pole position for the Qatar sprint at the Lusail International Circuit, setting a blistering lap time of 1:21.012. This remarkable effort secured McLaren a strong one-three finish in the sprint qualifying, as his teammate Oscar Piastri placed third, just 0.159 seconds behind. Sandwiched between the two McLaren drivers was George Russell, who clinched second place for Mercedes with a time of 1:21.075, completing an impressive front row.
Ferrari faced a mixed bag of results, with Carlos Sainz securing fourth and Charles Leclerc following closely in fifth. Despite their consistent performances, the Scuderia failed to challenge the top three positions effectively. Meanwhile, reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who has dominated much of the season, could only manage sixth place for Red Bull. This result, while respectable, was a noticeable dip from his usual front-row standards.
The biggest surprise came from Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, who struggled significantly and was eliminated in Q1. Perez’s disappointing qualifying effort placed him 16th, marking another low point in what has been a challenging season for the Mexican driver.
Further down the order, Lewis Hamilton secured seventh for Mercedes, while Pierre Gasly put Alpine in eighth. Nico Hulkenberg gave Haas something to cheer about with a solid ninth-place finish, and Liam Lawson of VCARB rounded out the top ten with a commendable effort.
The session highlighted some struggles for midfield teams. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could only manage 11th and 14th, respectively, while Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was stuck down in 18th. Guanyu Zhou and Franco Colapinto rounded off the grid, with Zhou in the 19th and Colapinto in the 20th.
As the sprint looms, all eyes are on Norris to see if he can convert his pole position into victory. McLaren’s resurgence is evident, and the team looks set to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull in the race. However, Verstappen’s sixth-place starting position adds intrigue, as he’s likely to push hard to move up the order. The Qatar sprint promises intense competition and drama as the drivers vie for crucial points.
