The two McLarens (with Russell splitting them) will lead the Sprint Race tomorrow in Lusail. Here’s the F1 Sprint Starting Grid in Qatar
Pre-race predictions have been confirmed: McLaren dominated all the Sprint Shootout sessions on this orange-hued Friday evening in Qatar, with only Russell “spoiling” a front-row lockout for the Woking team. This performance puts McLaren another step closer to clinching the 2024 Constructors’ Championship.
Ferrari struggled more than expected. Fourth and fifth places seem to be the best achievable today, with tomorrow’s Sprint Race offering the SF-24 a chance for redemption.
Here’s the Sprint Starting Grid in Qatar
1. Lando Norris (McLaren Mercedes) – 1:21.012
2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:21.075 (+0.063)
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren Mercedes) – 1:21.171 (+0.159)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 1:21.281 (+0.269)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:21.308 (+0.296)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT) – 1:21.315 (+0.303)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 1:21.474 (+0.462)
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine Renault) – 1:21.978 (+0.966)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas Ferrari) – 1:22.088 (+1.076)
10. Liam Lawson (Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT) – 1:22.577 (+1.565)
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes) – 1:22.433 (+1.421)
12. Alexander Albon (Williams Mercedes) – 1:22.526 (+1.514)
13. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber Ferrari) – 1:22.538 (+1.526)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes) – 1:22.599 (+1.587)
15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas Ferrari) – 1:22.738 (+1.726)
16. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT) – 1:22.718 (+1.706)
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT) – 1:22.722 (+1.710)
18. Esteban Ocon (Alpine Renault) – 1:22.906 (+1.894)
19. Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber Ferrari) – 1:22.948 (+1.936)
20. Franco Colapinto (Williams Mercedes) – 1:23.423 (+2.411)
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP