On the final lap of the Sprint Race in Qatar, Lando Norris gifted the race win to his teammate, returning the favor that Oscar Piastri had shown him in Brazil.
With the Drivers’ Championship secured for the fourth consecutive year by Max Verstappen last weekend in Las Vegas, Lando Norris is now fully focused on defending the Constructors’ title, which is under threat from Scuderia Ferrari. The result achieved in today’s Sprint Race in Qatar was a strong starting point towards that goal for the team led by Andrea Stella. McLaren extended their lead over the Italian team to a solid 30-point margin, thanks to a 1-2 finish by their two Papaya drivers.
The 25-year-old from Bristol had secured pole position yesterday and made a strong start when the Sprint Race got underway at Lusail, leading for much of the race. Then came the big show of sportsmanship towards Oscar Piastri; Norris handed over the win to his teammate, replicating a gesture Piastri had made to him during the Brazilian Grand Prix. That weekend, during the fight for the World Championship against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, McLaren’s MCL38 had struggled significantly.
In Qatar, Oscar Piastri crossed the line first, securing his second career Sprint Race win. On the podium alongside the Australian were his teammate Norris and George Russell.
“I think it was probably a bit closer than I would have liked,” Norris said post-race, referring to George Russell, who was right behind the two McLaren drivers. “But I had planned to do it since Brazil.” Norris explained the motivation behind his gesture towards Piastri, which took place on the final lap of the Sprint Race.
Continuing, he added: “I did what I thought was best. It was probably a bit risky, the team had told me not to do it, but I thought we could pull it off, and we did. Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m not here to win Sprint Races, I’m here to win races and a championship. But things didn’t go as expected. I did my best, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. ”
Speaking about the race that will take place tomorrow afternoon in Italy, the McLaren driver shared his thoughts on the physical challenges the Lusail circuit presents: “It was tough (the Sprint Race). My neck isn’t too happy about it. Tomorrow’s race will be difficult. The conditions, the cold, the wind—it’s much faster than last year. It’s even more physical than I thought it would be. It’s tricky, but it’s a challenge we have to deal with. Maybe I should train more in the gym, but other than that, I’m doing fine .”
Photos: McLaren.