Oscar Piastri secured pole position for the Catar GP sprint race, held this Friday (28) in Losail. The Australian from McLaren set the fastest time in the shootout and will start ahead of his teammate Lando Norris, third place, and George Russell, from Mercedes, who came in second.
Max Verstappen finished only in sixth place and expressed irritation with the behavior of Red Bull’s car during the session. Ferrari performed below expectations, with Charles Leclerc in ninth and Lewis Hamilton eliminated in SQ1.
The sprint race takes place this Saturday (29) at 3pm local time (9am Brasília), earning points for the drivers’ and constructors’ championship.
McLaren dominates shootout in Losail
Piastri completed the fastest lap in 1min21s148 and surpassed Russell by 0s145. The result marks the Australian’s return to the top after difficult weeks.
Norris was just 0s273 behind his teammate and secured third place. McLaren showed superior pace since free practice and confirmed its strength on the Qatari circuit.
- Pole position: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 2nd George Russell (Mercedes)
- 3rd Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 4th Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- 5th Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Verstappen faces problems and loses ground
The current three-time champion will start sixth after complaining several times on the radio about the car’s instability. The Dutchman reported that the RB21 “bounced” too much, especially when leaving the pits.
Yuki Tsunoda, his companion, managed fifth place even with a similar configuration. The difference in performance between the Red Bull drivers drew attention in the session.
Verstappen needs a good recovery in the sprint to maintain a comfortable distance at the top of the championship. Ele reaches Catar with a 24 point advantage over Norris.
Ferrari lives a day to forget in the desert
Charles Lewis Hamilton suffered a surprising elimination in SQ1 and will start 18th.
The Italian team has been having set-up problems since the beginning of the weekend. The distance to Mercedes and Red Bull may increase after the sprint.
Others eliminated in SQ1 included the two cars from Alpine, plus Liam Lawson and Lance Stroll. The session saw high competition in the intermediate field.
Complete sprint grid reveals surprises
Fernando Alonso placed Aston Martin in fourth and surpassed Red Bull. Kimi Antonelli, debutant from Mercedes, advanced to SQ3 after a track limit review and will start seventh.
Carlos Sainz finished eighth with Williams, followed by Leclerc. Alex Albon closed the top 10.
Isack Hadjar lost time for exceeding track limits and fell to 11th. The decision benefited Antonelli, who had initially been eliminated.
Team performance in the shootout
McLaren consolidated favoritism with both cars in the top 3. Mercedes appeared strong with Russell in second and Antonelli in seventh.
Red Bull was divided between fifth place from Tsunoda and sixth from Verstappen. Aston Martin surprised positively with Alonso.
Williams and Ferrari completed intermediate positions. Alpine, Racing Bulls and the second car from Aston Martin occupied the back of the grid.
Weekend schedules in Losail
The sprint takes place at 3pm local time this Saturday. Qualifying for the main GP is scheduled for 6pm local time, with the race on Sunday at 6pm.
All sessions are live streamed. The 5,419 km route hosts the penultimate stage of the 2025 season.
The fight for the drivers’ title remains open between Verstappen, Norris and Piastri. The constructors’ championship also remains undefined in the top positions.
