Oscar Piastri will line up for Formula 1‘s Qatar Grand Prix Sprint in pole position, after a controlled performance in Doha, with his title rivals floundering.
The Australian’s 1:20.055s was enough to secure pole at the Losail International Circuit, with team-mate Lando Norris third, sandwiching the Mercedes of George Russell.
McLaren’s chief title rival Max Verstappen, complaining of handling problems with his Red Bull, was sixth, and outqualified by Yuki Tsunoda.
SQ1 began with Norris setting a benchmark of 1:21.621s, with both Mercedes leaving it until five minutes before time to go out on track, with everyone else having done so.
Verstappen went quickest by a tenth, with a further two tenths between Norris and Piastri. Tsunoda popped up in fifth, with Alonso fourth, and Lewis Hamilton edging close to the elimination zone.
Norris went quicker still, besting Verstappen’s time by a tenth, but Piastri quickly popped up with fastest time by the same deficit. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg moved up into fourth and fifth respectively.
Russell, in just one lap, was up to fifth, with Antonelli’s lap only enough for 16th, and therefore elimination. Hamilton was now down in 19th.
Alonso then went fastest by one hundredth of a second, in front of forthcoming Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey, sat on the pit wall.
But not for long, as Verstappen then took another tenth out of the fastest time. Hamilton was up to 15th, but Antonelli moved into sixth, knocking him out.
Isack Hadjar, down in 17th, took fifth, as Hulkenberg moved up to fourth. Albon moved from elimination to 14th at the flag, knocking out Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, and both Alpines.
Hamilton, a personification of frustration all year, told his team over radio that the car “won’t go any quicker,” ruing his early exit.
Drama did not end there, as Verstappen and Norris were both placed under investigation for impeding, with one blaming the other. But none was handed out by the stewards, who quickly deemed no further investigation was necessary.
McLaren appears to assert dominance as Verstappen bemoans s*** car
SQ2 began with Verstappen picking up where he left off, with both Saubers continuing to look strong. Ocon also laid down a good marker for team-mate Bearman with provisional fifth, but the Brit quickly bettered his time.
It was the same for McLaren, as Norris went faster than Verstappen by three tenths, with Piastri just four hundredths behind in second.
Russell then went third ahead of Verstappen, the Dutchman complaining that the car “is bouncing like crazy, it is just s***.”
His next time was enough to see him leapfrog the Mercedes, but was still short of the McLarens but only by around three hundredths.
Alonso was now going dangerously close to a complete shift from second in SQ1 to out of SQ2, but did enough to go seventh.
Tsunoda went fourth, a tenth off Verstappen, with Sainz fifth. Russell bumped them all down by going fourth himself, with Antonelli knocking out Hadjar at the very end.
Norris and Verstappen have no answer for Piastri
It was now crunch time, as those watching anticipated with baited breath as to whether Verstappen could conjure some magic to displace the McLarens, or whether the papaya wave would roll on into the Sprint Race on Saturday.
Not much indication of that, given he got onto his radio for a second time to say the “f***ing car is bouncing like an idiot.”
Piastri set the early banker, a 1:20.241s, with Norris a shade slower, by just four hundredths.
Verstappen’s issues were underlines by going off the circuit, and was still yet to complete a proper lap time, with just two-and-a-half minutes left on the clock.
With now less than a minute to go, Verstappen set off on one final quest for pole.
Russell went into provisional pole, but Piastri quickly stole it off of him, with Verstappen down in sixth, behind Tsunoda in fifth.
Alonso wound up fourth, with Norris unable to better Russell, settling for third after taking to the gravel on the exit of the final corner on his final run.
Antonelli was seventh, with Sainz eighth, Leclerc ninth, and Albon rounding out the top 10.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Qatar Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying Results
Discussion about this post