Oscar Piastri edged out George Russell by 0.032s to claim pole for F1 Qatar GP Sprint, while title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen faltered in third and sixth amid intense traffic and track limits scrutiny.
This marked Piastri’s first Sprint pole of the season and underscored McLaren’s growing dominance in the MCL39 package, as the Australian outpaced his teammate Norris, who struggled with a 1:20.285 in SQ3 despite showing strong pace earlier.
The session unfolded under the floodlights of Lusail with all 20 drivers battling for supremacy in the unique Sprint Qualifying format—SQ1, SQ2, and SQ3—designed to set the grid for Saturday’s high-stakes Sprint race.
The running kicked off with SQ1, the initial 12-minute segment where every driver on the grid vied to advance into the top 15, all starting on Pirelli’s softer C4 soft compound tires to maximize grip on the abrasive Lusail surface known for its high tire degradation and strict track limits enforcement.
Fernando Alonso set the early benchmark for Aston Martin with a sharp 1:21.276, showcasing the AMR25’s improved straight-line speed and cornering prowess developed over the mid-season upgrades.
Alonso was closely followed by Piastri who capitalized on McLaren’s aerodynamic edge through the high-speed Turn 4 and the technical Turn 10-11 complex to slot in a 1:21.286.
Verstappen who is gunning for his fourth consecutive title posted a 1:21.172 to slot into second initially, while Norris lurked nearby at 1:21.398.
However, Verstappen and Norris were placed under investigation for impeding, with one blaming the other but the stewards quickly deemed no further investigation was necessary.
Lewis Hamilton was the biggest name to face elimination in SQ1 after he was unable to improve enough in his final lap to progress to SQ2, venting over team radio that his Ferrari “won’t go any quicker.”
He was joined by Lance Stroll who could not match his Aston Martin teammate Alonso, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto who languished at the bottom as traffic and setup compromises bit hard in the dying minutes.
Full 2025 F1 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results
Oscar Piastri dominates sole F1 Qatar GP practice ahead of Lando Norris
Moving seamlessly into SQ2, the 10-minute phase trimmed the field to the top 10 contenders, with drivers pushing harder on fresh soft tires amid rising track temperatures that tested thermal management and tire warm-up strategies critical at Lusail’s night session.
Piastri elevated his game to a 1:21.005, reclaiming the top spot and highlighting McLaren’s superior downforce in the fast sweeps, while Norris surged to 1:20.956, briefly leading and signaling his intent despite earlier SQ1 conservatism.
Verstappen responded with 1:21.036, his Red Bull maintaining competitive sector times but losing ground in the final sector to the McLarens’ tire preservation tactics.
Russell improved to 1:21.136 with Mercedes’ engine mapping paying dividends, while Alonso held firm at 1:21.272, his experience yielding consistent laps. Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli and Alex Albon also delivered competitive laps to sneak through to SQ3.
However, Isack Hadjar faced elimination after his lap was deleted for track limits violation at Turn 8, while Ollie Bearman was unable to progress beyond 12th despite improving on his final lap.
Both Saubers were also kicked out with Gabriel Bortoleto outqualifying team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in 13th and 14th, respectively, along with Esteban Ocon in the second Haas.
The decisive eight-minute SQ3 shootout for pole among the top 10, ignited with maximum intensity as drivers launched on their final soft tire sets, the Lusail floodlights casting dramatic shadows over battles for every millisecond in what became a track limits minefield.
It wasn’t long before Piastri unleashed a flawless 1:20.055 encompassing perfect braking into Turn 1, apex clipping through the kink at Turn 4, and a late rotation into the final corner to secure pole for F1 Qatar GP Sprint.
The McLaren driver outfoxed the field by 0.032 seconds with his closest challenger being George Russell whose Mercedes went slow in sector 2, ruining his flawless sectors one and three.
Lando Norris settled for third after his lap was compromised by a slight lock-up at Turn 10, costing tenths to his teammate and amplifying title pressure as he trails Piastri in the standings.
Fernando Alonso claimed fourth for Aston Martin, while Yuki Tsunoda outqualified his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen who endured a torrid session as he struggled to cope with the bouncing present in his RB21 on the soft tyre.
The Dutchman also suffered multiple aborted runs due to traffic and a deleted lap for track limits at Turn 4, landing him sixth.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli dazzled in seventh followed by Williams’ duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in eighth and tenth, while Charles Leclerc split the Grove pair in ninth.
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