Piastri wins Qatar GP sprint race to keep title pressure on Norris

Piastri wins Qatar GP sprint race to keep title pressure on NorrisStory byAustralian formula one driver Oscar Piastri of the McLaren Team leads at the start of the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Formula One Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday. David Davies/PA Wire/dpaDPASat, November 29, 2025 at 3:08 PM UTC·2 min read

Oscar Piastri won the Qatar Grand Prix weekend sprint race from pole position on Saturday to keep the Formula One title race pressure on McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

Piastri crossed the chequered flag after 19 laps on the Lusail International Circuit ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell and Norris.

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The top three had started in the same order while four-time reigning champion Max Verstappen, who is also in title contention, rose two spots from sixth on the grid to fourth at the start.

But the Red Bull star found no way past Norris on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Norris dropped two points on Piastri while gaining one on Verstappen. He is 22 points ahead of Piastri and 25 in front of Verstappen.

There are still 50 points up for grabs from Sunday's proper Qatar Grand Prix and the season-ender in Abu Dhabi where there is no sprint.

With 25 points for a victory and 18 for second, Norris will clinch the title on Sunday with first place, or if he doesn't it will depend on how Piastri and Verstappen fare.

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Piastri has been impeccable all weekend after some difficult months as he has topped every session and must also be rated favourite for GP qualifying later Saturday.

It was another difficult day for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc losing four places at the start to place 13th and Lewis Hamilton coming 18th after being among several drivers to start from the pit lane.

Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda originally finished fifth but was hit with a track limits five-second penalty which dropped him to sixth.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli inherited fifth, and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and Carlos Sainz of Williams were also in the points.

Australian formula one driver Oscar Piastri of the McLaren Team leads during the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Formula One Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday. David Davies/PA Wire/dpaAdvertisementAdvertisement