Oscar Piastri Wins Qatar Sprint, Reduces Gap to Norris

Oscar Piastri delivered a well-executed race to win the Qatar Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit, keeping his Championship hopes alive with a controlled lights-to-flag victory. The Australian held off George Russell and Lando Norris across 19 laps, taking eight points and closing the gap at the top as Round 23 of the season heads toward its decisive finale.

Norris still leads the standings by 22 points and can win the title in Sunday’s Grand Prix, yet the Sprint belonged entirely to Piastri, who started from pole and never once looked threatened.

Piastri converts pole as rivals scrap behind

Piastri launched cleanly while Russell covered off Norris into Turn 1. Fernando Alonso slipped backwards with a sluggish getaway which allowed Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen through, before Verstappen swiftly overtook his team mate.

Within two laps Piastri had broken Russell’s DRS. Norris tried to stay in touch but Verstappen loomed in his mirrors early on, the Red Bull looking far stronger in race trim than it had in qualifying.

Norris resists Verstappen as Championship picture shifts

Verstappen set the early fastest laps but could not find a way past Norris who cleverly used Russell’s DRS to defend. The Dutchman eventually fell back as his tyres overheated, leaving Norris to secure third place and six valuable points.

With Piastri winning and Verstappen only fourth, the Australian moves back into second place in the standings, reducing Norris’s advantage but still facing a steep task on Sunday.

Rare qualifying setback for Verstappen

The Dutchman’s Sprint began with the aftershock of a rare qualifying defeat to Tsunoda the previous evening. The Japanese driver had outqualified Verstappen for only the third time in their partnership, although Tsunoda’s Sprint unravelled after a five-second penalty for repeated track limits offences. The penalty dropped him from fifth to seventh.

Russell steady in second as midfield battles flare

Russell drove a calm race in P2, keeping Norris at arm’s length throughout. Further back, Kimi Antonelli impressed by climbing to fifth after Tsunoda’s penalty. Alonso, struggling for grip, slipped to seventh while Carlos Sainz held off Isack Hadjar for the final point despite shedding a piece of bodywork from his Williams.

Lewis Hamilton started from the pit lane after set-up changes but made little progress on a bruising weekend for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc finished outside the points in ninth.

Piastri crossed the line 2.6 seconds clear of Russell to seal his third consecutive Sprint win in Qatar. Norris’s third place gives him a firm hold on the Championship lead yet Piastri’s form raises the tension ahead of qualifying and Sunday’s race.

The McLaren pair remain the drivers to beat as Verstappen faces a night of set-up work if he hopes to stay in the title fight.