McLaren's Oscar Piastri delivered a standout performance in the Qatar Sprint, beating teammate and championship leader Lando Norris to secure first place. The victory earned Piastri 8 points, strengthening his push toward the 2025 F1 World Championship. Norris, meanwhile, collected 6 points, keeping the intra-team battle alive. The result comes as a timely boost for McLaren following its double disqualification at the Las Vegas GP.
Meanwhile, George Russell claimed second place in the sprint, earning seven points and taking his season tally to 301. Oscar Piastri now stands at 374 points, while championship leader Lando Norris leads with 396. McLaren's key rival, Max Verstappen, had to settle for fourth, collecting five points to reach 371 overall. Despite complaining about his car "bouncing and jumping," Verstappen remains hopeful of reigniting his title challenge with a strong performance at the Qatar GP.
The Qatar GP Sprint began with McLaren's Oscar Piastri taking charge at the front, closely followed by Mercedes driver George Russell. Fernando Alonso settled into third, while Yuki Tsunoda, starting fifth, was quickly overtaken by Red Bull's Max Verstappen at Turn 1 of the opening lap.
Yuki Tsunoda marked a career milestone by outqualifying Max Verstappen for the first time during Sprint Qualifying on 28 November. The 25‑year‑old, however, struggled to sustain his pace in the race and received a five‑second penalty for track‑limit violations. Despite the setback, Tsunoda secured fifth place in the sprint, earning four valuable points.
Also, Mercedes further strengthened its grip on second place in the constructors' standings, with Russell's runner-up finish complemented by Kimi Antonelli's solid sixth. In contrast, Ferrari endured a nightmare outing, failing to score as Lewis Hamilton languished down in 17th place.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
