Piastri nips Norris to Qatar pole in title showdown
Piastri nips Norris to Qatar pole in title showdown
Oscar Piastri clinches pole at the Qatar Grand Prix, edging rival Lando Norris as the title race tightens ahead of Sunday's race.
Oscar Piastri grabbed pole for the Qatar Grand Prix, denying his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in a tight battle at Lusail. With the title on the line, the Australian flashed the best lap when it mattered, setting up a potentially decisive Sunday.
Max Verstappen endured a bumpy sprint and a tricky run in qualifying, finishing 0.264 seconds off Norris. He said there were still limitations in the car, but the final lap left him with hope for a comeback as overtaking around this circuit remains difficult.
George Russell lined up fourth, just 0.011 seconds behind Verstappen, with Kimi Antonelli fifth. The rest of the top 10 included Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc, who survived a high-speed spin out of Turn 15 on his first lap. Lewis Hamilton ended up 18th on the grid after a weekend that mirrors his struggles.
Earlier, Piastri had already cut Norris's title lead with a sprint race win, narrowing the gap by two points and throwing the championship into a tense final weekend.
Norris insists he will try everything to clinch the title in Qatar, vowing he won't give up and will push for every possible overtaking opportunity on Sunday.
