Piastri wins Qatar GP sprint again as Norris pays back in McLaren one-two

Published: 01 Dec 2024 - 09:44 am | Last Updated: 01 Dec 2024 - 09:54 am

McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri waves to the crowd after winning the sprint race ahead of the Qatari Formula One Grand Prix.

Doha: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri won the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix sprint last year with a stellar performance and the Australian sensation followed it up with a second consecutive triumph at the Lusail International Circuit yesterday. This time, his victory owed to the selfless teamwork of his teammate Lando Norris.

The McLaren duo dominated the sprint but it was Norris who led from the pole with precision until he gifted the 0.136 seconds victory to Piastri after slowing down in the final corner of the 19-lap race. It was a payback for Piastri’s similar act during the Sao Paulo sprint to boost the Briton’s drivers’ title bid.

For McLaren, the result was a crucial one-two finish earning the team 15 points. The result puts McLaren 34 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings, with today’s Qatar Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi season finale still to come. McLaren had won their last constructors’ championship in 1998.

“It was about defence for the whole race to be honest,” said Piastri after winning the sprint.

“I had a good start and a good Turn 1 obviously and then just didn’t quite have the pace. I think I killed the front a little bit early on and then I was struggling a bit for the rest of the Sprint.

“Some great teamwork, I think without that help it would have been a much more difficult Sprint. Nice to have a McLaren one-two,” he added.

Mercedes' British driver George Russell (left) and McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri compete during the sprint race.

Norris revealed he had planned to return the favour since the Brazil event despite instructions from the team to the contrary.

“We scored the 1-2 we were aiming for and we have maximum points so I am happy for the team... Perfectly-executed! We did our job. It ended a bit closer than I wanted, but I had this planned since Brazil and it’s what I wanted. The team told me not to do it, but I did it the best way I could,” he said.

Mercedes’ George Russell finished third while Ferrari’s duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc secured fourth and fifth finish respectively.

Russell said: “We were very close in T1 a couple of times, but Lando backing up to help Oscar with DRS... It was pretty infuriating to be honest, but I understand why.”

Lewis Hamilton, Russell’s Mercedes teammate, had to settle for sixth place in season's last sprint despite a blistering start that saw him overtake Leclerc. However, the Ferrari driver fought back on lap 13 with a brilliant move in Turn One.

“I was really struggling to get close on the straights,” Leclerc said.

“I think we maybe ran a different configuration of cars. Lewis was fast on the straights, I was quite fast in the corners but that was mostly based on car characteristics.

“It made it very difficult to be as close as I wanted for Turn 1 but I had one opportunity and I went for it. I know it’s a very important time of our season – we’ve got the fight with McLaren that seems to have the advantage for now. Every point is super important so I tried everything.”

Newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing finished eighth, behind Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was ninth, with Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas rounding out the top 10.

FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR GRAND PRIX 2024 - SPRINT RESULT
1: Oscar Piastri (McLaren Mercedes) 27:03.010

2: Lando Norris (McLaren Mercedes) +0.136s

3: George Russell (Mercedes) +0.410s

4: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +1.326s

5: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +5.073s

6: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +5.650s

7: Nico Hulkenberg (Haas Ferrari) +8.508s

8: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT) +10.368s

9: Pierre Gasly (Alpine Renault) +14.513s

10: Kevin Magnussen (Haas Ferrari) +15.485s

11: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes) +19.204s

12: Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber Ferrari) +23.351s