Oscar Piastri delivered a decisive response to his recent championship slide with a commanding performance at the Lusail International Circuit, winning Saturday’s sprint race and seizing pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver’s double success has significantly tightened the title battle with teammate Lando Norris, who will start alongside him on the front row. Max Verstappen of Red Bull qualified third, setting the stage for a tense three-way battle into the first corner on Sunday.
Piastri entered the weekend under intense pressure, having seen a once-substantial championship lead evaporate and fall behind Norris. His dominant sprint victory, coupled with Norris finishing third, provided a crucial momentum shift. He then edged Norris by the slimmest of margins in a gripping qualifying session, securing the top starting spot with a flawless final lap after his rival made a minor error.
“Let’s go, baby!” was Piastri’s radio message after the sprint, a sentiment reflecting a return to form after a difficult stretch of races since his last win in August. The results cut his deficit to Norris in the standings to 22 points, with Verstappen a further three points back.
The pole position could prove critical. The high-speed Lusail track, with its sequences of flat-out corners, is notoriously difficult for overtaking. If Piastri maintains his lead off the line, he will be in a strong position to control the race and force the championship to be decided at the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Norris remains in the driver’s seat for the title. He can clinch it on Sunday if he builds a 26-point lead over both rivals. A race victory would secure it outright, regardless of other finishes.
After the sprint, Norris also addressed comments from Verstappen, who had suggested he would have already won the title in a McLaren. “He generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there is also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about,” Norris responded. He characterized the remarks as part of Red Bull’s “aggressive nature” and emphasized his team’s focus on performance over rhetoric.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult outing, qualifying a disappointing 18th in his Ferrari after a similarly troubled sprint race.
Piastri’s resurgence ensures the championship battle remains wide open, with everything to play for as the grid prepares for Sunday’s main event.