Image: from Radio_Rebel X@ronaldmugera912
By José Carlos Palma
Oscar Piastri secured a stunning pole position for the Formula 1 sprint race in Qatar, outperforming George Russell and McLaren teammate Lando Norris at the Lusail International Circuit. The Australian driver showcased his composure and speed throughout the qualifying session, leading after the first flying laps in SQ3 with a 0.044-second advantage over Norris and 0.287 over Russell.
In the second set of soft tire attempts, Russell briefly took the top spot with a time of 1:20.087, only to be overtaken moments later by Piastri, who clocked 1:20.055. This gave him a slim margin of 0.032 seconds over the Mercedes driver. Norris struggled in his final flying lap, running off track in the last corner and finishing 0.230 seconds behind Piastri, which will place him on the second row alongside Fernando Alonso.
Red Bull teammates Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen will start from the third row. Verstappen voiced ongoing frustration with his car’s handling, particularly with porpoising issues that hampered his performance through Lusail’s fast corners. Rising star Kimi Antonelli will start seventh, ahead of Carlos Sainz in the fourth row. Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon were the slowest in SQ3, sharing the fifth row.
Lewis Hamilton’s challenging debut season with Ferrari continues, as the seven-time world champion failed to progress past Q1, finishing 18th. Only Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto were slower, relegated to the last row for the sprint race.
The Qatar Grand Prix weekend, the 23rd round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, continues tomorrow at 14:00 Portugal Continental time with the 19-lap sprint race at Lusail, promising intense action as the championship heads toward its climax.
1) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’20.055
2) George Russell (Mercedes), 1’20.087
3) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’20.285
4) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes), 1’20.450
5) Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull/Honda RBPT), 1’20.519
6) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT), 1’20.528
7) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1’20.532
8) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1’20.542
9) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1’20.622
10) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1’20.788
11) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT), 1’21.433
12) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1’21.494
13) Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari), 1’21.567
14) Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari), 1’21.631
15) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1’21.666
16) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes), 1’21.807
17) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT), 1’21.851
18) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1’22.043
19) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault), 1’22.112
20) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Renault), 1’22.364