McLaren one-two in the Sprint Race at the Qatar Grand Prix, with the Papaya team able to celebrate the title tomorrow.
Oscar Piastri wins the Sprint Race, and McLaren takes a one-two finish in Qatar. The Australian driver triumphed, with Norris, who had led the race for all 19 laps, surrendering the victory to his teammate at the line. George Russell took third, while the two Ferraris finished in fourth and fifth, with Sainz ahead of Leclerc. Now, 30 points separate McLaren and Ferrari, with the Woking-based team potentially clinching the Constructors’ Championship tomorrow.
The 19 laps of the Sprint Race brought the first thrills even before the start, with Perez and Colapinto, starting 16th and last on the grid, respectively, exiting from the pit lane. As the lights went out, Norris held onto the lead while Piastri took advantage of a hesitation from Russell to move into second place. Further back, Hamilton made an excellent start, overtaking Verstappen and Leclerc in one move to take fifth place after the first lap.
Verstappen lost several positions at the start, finishing the first lap in ninth, behind Hulkenberg’s Haas and Gasly’s Alpine. Lawson had a poor start, dropping from tenth to seventeenth, just ahead of his teammate Tsunoda.
The pack stayed close during the early laps, with Norris attempting to build a gap, while Russell stayed in DRS range of Piastri. On lap 4, Russell tried to make a move, but Piastri defended well in Turn 1, sending the Mercedes driver’s attack back. The leaders stayed very close, with Norris slowing down on the straights to allow Piastri to use DRS, while Sainz and Leclerc held on to fourth and sixth positions, respectively.
The top six were within two seconds of each other, with McLaren’s strategy clear: Norris consistently gave DRS to his teammate Piastri to help him defend from Russell. Further back, after eight laps, Verstappen managed to pass Gasly to take eighth place, the final spot that would earn points in the Sprint.
The first major move came on lap 13, when Leclerc overtook Hamilton after a fantastic battle in the first sector, taking fifth place. Russell continued to apply pressure on Piastri, but the Australian driver closed all gaps, keeping the Mercedes behind.
Red Bull had a tough race, with Verstappen in eighth place, while Sergio Perez, in last, was overtaken by Colapinto during his pit lane start. The race passed without much drama, with Norris, at the finish line, handing the lead to Piastri in return for his Brazil favor. Russell took third. Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc finished in fourth and fifth.
The top 10 in the Sprint Race were rounded out by Hamilton in sixth, Gasly in seventh, and an anonymous Verstappen in eighth. Ninth place went to Gasly, and Magnussen secured tenth after making a fantastic recovery, gaining five positions. This McLaren one-two was crucial, as the team extended its lead to 30 points over Ferrari. Woking could potentially secure the Constructors’ Championship tomorrow, needing 14 points more than Ferrari.
Photo: X McLaren e Ferrari