Lando Norris will start from pole position on the starting grid of the Sprint Race of the Qatar GP. The British driver made the most of the potential of the McLaren, marking an excellent 1:21.012 that allowed him to precede the Mercedes of George Russell by just 63 thousandths. Completing the top 3, the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri, confirming the great balance seen on the track during the Sprint qualifying.
Behind the two McLarens and Russell's Mercedes, we find the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, in fourth and fifth position respectively. Both Prancing Horse drivers struggled to find the right balance of the SF-24, suffering from understeer that compromised their flying lap. For Ferrari, who had shown great competitiveness in free practice, this is a step backwards that could complicate the fight for the Constructors' World Championship.
McLaren unstoppable, Ferrari on defense
Sprint qualifying reaffirmed McLaren’s dominance on the Lusail track, a circuit that perfectly matches the characteristics of the MCL38. Norris and Piastri, with first and third place, confirm the British team’s ambitions to end the weekend at the top of the Constructors’ standings.
On the other hand, Ferrari will have to work to improve its race pace. Sainz and Leclerc, despite their positions on the second and third rows, said they were dissatisfied with the balance of the car. “We were not able to maximize the potential of the package,” Sainz explained, while Leclerc highlighted the gap compared to expectations after FP1.
Verstappen and Perez: Red Bull in the shade
Red Bull, the undisputed dominator of recent seasons, had a subdued Sprint qualifying. Max Verstappen will start from sixth position, a result that reflects the difficulties encountered on the flying lap. Even worse performance by Sergio Perez, who will start sixteenth after another elimination in SQ1. For Red Bull, the Sprint represents an opportunity to limit the damage and try to climb back up in the race.
The complete starting grid of the sprint in Qatar
Here's how the drivers will line up for the Sprint Race in Qatar, in program at 15:00 PM Italian time:
1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10. Liam Lawson (RB)
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
12. Alexander Albon (Williams)
13. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
16. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
17. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
18. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
19. Guanyu Zhou (Kick Sauber)
20. Franco Colapinto (Williams)
