Brief summary
The sprint qualification in Qatar changed the picture for this race weekend. The starting grid for the sprint has been determined. The results may still influence the championship. The big points will only be awarded in the main race.
Key findings
- Oscar Piastri starts on pole for the sprint.
- Lando Norris is third and maintains a lead in the championship.
- Max Verstappen qualified disappointingly in sixth place.
- Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda finish fourth and fifth respectively.
- Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 and will start in eighteenth place.
Oscar Piastri — 1st
Piastri seems to be back on track after a bad spell. He qualified strongly and set the fastest time in the decisive lap. He was lucky that his teammate Norris was stuck in traffic. Piastri also made a big correction at Turn 4. That move probably cost him two tenths, but he had just enough speed left.
Max Verstappen — 6th
Verstappen faced a disappointing starting position. Sixth on the sprint grid is not the end of his title fight, but it is a missed opportunity. The race will have to show whether he can regain the lost ground. His weekend got off to an early bump when the car may have sustained damage after a trip off the track.
Fernando Alonso — 4th
Alonso achieved Aston Martin's best starting position of the season. He was at the front in SQ1 and SQ2. In SQ2, he encountered traffic, but he recovered in SQ3. The fact that he is ahead of the Red Bulls is surprising and a big plus for the team.
Lando Norris — 3rd
Norris made a mistake when it mattered and lost time. Despite this, he still leads the championship. However, his lead has narrowed. This increases the pressure on him and could have consequences on Sunday.
Yuki Tsunoda — 5th
Tsunoda finally finished ahead of Verstappen on the timesheet. For Red Bull, that is a remarkable result. It comes too late to change much this season, but it is a personal success for Tsunoda.
Lewis Hamilton — 18th
Hamilton did not make it through Q1. His recent form continued in Qatar. Afterwards, he said that there was no extra pace in the car, despite a different wing setting. That does not look good for Mercedes this weekend.
Alpine — 19th and 20th
Alpine fell back and finished with both cars at the rear. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto were the slowest in qualifying. Colapinto in particular struggled and missed the cutoff by a wide margin. After the recent points in Brazil and Las Vegas, this is a disappointing Sunday afternoon.
Lance Stroll — 16th
Stroll did not make it past Q1, while his teammate Alonso is in fourth place. He seemed to stop his final fast attempt early and was eliminated. This is particularly painful given the points battle in the constructors' championship.
Gabriel Bortoleto — 13th
Bortoleto achieved a useful qualifying result. The result is small, but important for his confidence. He is starting to better compete with teammate Nico Hülkenberg again. The difference was minimal, but it works in his favour.
Liam Lawson — 17th
Lawson did not have a good weekend. He started in the wrong tyre for the ideal window and was unable to make enough progress. For him, the sprint will mainly be a learning experience for Sunday.
What does this mean for Sunday?
The sprint changes the cards, but the real points have not yet been distributed. Expect pressure on those in the top ten and recovery work for drivers starting low. The championship remains exciting, especially with the small margins between teammates.
Key points
- Piastri back in the lead — momentum for McLaren.
- Verstappen loses pace — challenge for Red Bull.
- Norris remains in the lead, but his advantage is shrinking.
- Alpine and some drivers must respond before the main race.
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