Norris Takes Third in Qatar Sprint Qualifying as Title Chance Nears

Lando Norris will start the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race from third place after a challenging qualifying session, on a weekend where he could win the Formula 1 world title for the first time.

The McLaren driver was outpaced by his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who took pole position, while Mercedes’ George Russell secured second. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, level on points with Piastri and 24 points behind Norris in the title race, struggled and will begin the sprint from sixth.

Norris cannot seal the championship in Saturday’s sprint, but he has a chance to do so in Sunday’s main race if he finishes at least two points ahead of both Piastri and Verstappen.

Piastri had a smooth session and set the fastest time on both his runs. Norris, however, damaged his car’s floor earlier in qualifying. He was close to Piastri on his first flying lap but later lost time while following Alex Albon’s Williams and then ran wide out of the final corner, allowing Russell to edge ahead.

Piastri, who has seen his points advantage disappear since the Dutch Grand Prix in August, was relieved with his pace.

“It’s been a good day,” he said. “The car felt good and we made good adjustments. The pace was there.”

Norris admitted he could have done better.

“The pace was there. I made a mistake in the last corner and didn’t put it together,” he said. “Overtaking is almost impossible, so I’ll try to get George off the line, but P3 might be where I stay.”

The sprint race offers eight points for the winner, seven for second, and continues down to eighth place.

Verstappen Battles Car Issues

Verstappen’s qualifying was hampered by bouncing and handling problems. He was even out-qualified by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda for the first time this season, by only 0.009 seconds.

The Dutchman damaged his floor after running wide at Turn Four, which reduced his performance.

“Not good,” Verstappen said. “The car was bouncing with understeer that turned into oversteer. With this balance, the sprint won’t be fun. I’ll just try to survive and improve for Sunday.”

Alonso Shines for Aston Martin

Away from the title spotlight, Fernando Alonso produced a standout performance to put his Aston Martin fourth on the grid. It was a strong result for a team sitting eighth in the constructors’ standings.

“One of the best results of the year,” said the 44-year-old, who praised his experience for helping him adapt.

Behind him, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli placed seventh. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon of Williams were also in the top ten, alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton spoke very briefly after finishing outside the top group. When asked about the car’s handling, he replied simply: “Same as always.”