Piastri claimed a controlled win in the Qatar Sprint, capitalising on a clean start and steady pace. The field settled into a DRS train on a circuit more suited for MotoGP and only offering few overtaking opportunities. Behind him, it was Russell and Norris completing the podium. For the rest of the grid, it was a mix of penalties, tyre concerns and very late pit stops. With the result tightening the McLaren title fight, all attention now shifts to qualifying and tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
Starting from the Pitlane
Before the Sprint, it was announced that both Alpine cars, along with Hamilton and Stroll, would start from the pit lane. Much of the focus centred on Pirelli’s tyres, although teams were expected to suffer less degradation than during the Grand Prix itself. With only 19 laps, this Sprint wouldn’t call for any mandatory stops.
Strong Launch for Piastri
Piastri made an excellent getaway from pole, while Norris had to defend immediately from a fast-starting Tsunoda. The field kept it clean through the opening corners, with drivers taking a cautious approach.
Verstappen quickly recovered to fourth with the help of his teammate to hunt down Norris in front. Leclerc, on the other hand, endured an uncharacteristically poor launch, dropping four places from his starting position of ninth. Ferrari’s struggles continued as Leclerc visibly wrestled with his car to stay within the white lines. Same could be said for Hamilton who made changes under parc fermé conditions but wasn’t able to get within DRS range of Stroll in front.
Limited Action in DRS Train
Once DRS was enabled by race control, Verstappen tried to attack into Turn 1. Despite reporting bouncing in the car, he clocked the fastest lap while closing in on the championship leader ahead. As expected on a MotoGP suited circuit, the field settled into a DRS train offering few overtaking opportunities.
Williams appeared to be running its car particularly low, with Sainz scraping the floor so aggressively that a big piece of carbon flew off. Gradually, the field began to stretch, with cameras following Leclerc’s efforts to pass Bearman. A small error allowed Lawson to slip by, though he completed the move off-track and had to hand the position back.
Further ahead, Alonso ran wide at Turn 16, giving Antonelli the chance to make a rare overtake in an otherwise processional race.
Penalties and Late Stops
Tsunoda, enjoying his best position in Red Bull so far, soon received a five-second time penalty for track limits violation. He wasn’t the only one with Antonelli under investigation for the same offence receiving equal punishment.
With six laps remaining, Stroll pitted to change from heavily worn mediums to softs. He spun the rear wheels while still in the air as the lights turned green, momentarily held up by the jackman. No action came from race control, and the softer tyres helped him secure the fastest lap of the sprint.
On 16th lap, Piastri reported slight vibrations but stayed in lead. Few laps later, it was both Alpine drivers stopping, likely for precautionary reasons. The cameras didn’t even follow them to find out more about the state of their tyres.
Piastri’s Chargeback
Piastri held his nerve to secure an important victory. He finished ahead of an invisible Russell, and Norris, who completed the podium. Verstappen, Tsunoda, Antonelli, Alonso, and Sainz rounded out the points.
Could this be the start of a late Piastri title chargeback? Title fights tightens with 22 points still separating the McLaren duo. The attention now turns to qualifying later today and the Grand Prix tomorrow.