Oscar Piastri secured victory in the Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix after his teammate Lando Norris let Piastri pass on the final corner. This move was a gesture for Piastri’s earlier assist in São Paulo, where he had given the lead to Norris during the Sprint.

Norris made a strong start from pole position, immediately taking the lead, while Piastri quickly overtook George Russell to claim second. The battle between Piastri and Russell for second place continued for most of the Sprint. Piastri held on to second until the final lap, when Norris, ahead by more than a second, allowed his teammate to overtake just before the finish line. This victory marked Piastri’s second Sprint win in Qatar.

Russell finished third, followed closely by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fourth and Charles Leclerc in fifth. Leclerc also had a thrilling battle with Lewis Hamilton, who finished sixth. Nico Hulkenberg and Max Verstappen completed the top eight, securing points in seventh and eighth place, respectively.

Saturday’s Sprint followed a one-practice session format, with Sprint Qualifying setting the grid. Norris dominated the qualifying session, topping both SQ1 and SQ2, before taking pole position in SQ3. However, Russell surprised by securing second, pushing Piastri down to third. Two changes were made before the start, with Sergio Pérez and Franco Colapinto starting from the pit lane after car adjustments.

When the race began, all drivers chose medium tyres, except for Zhou Guanyu, who started on softs. Norris got away cleanly, while Piastri passed Russell for second on the opening lap. Hamilton made a strong start, moving up to fifth, while Verstappen struggled and dropped outside the points early on.

By Lap 4, Russell was putting pressure on Piastri, attempting to pass into Turn 1 but failing to make the move stick. Meanwhile, Verstappen reported oversteer issues, and Pérez was struggling at the back of the field. Hamilton was also under pressure, with Leclerc moving up to challenge him for fifth by Lap 13.

As the race neared its final laps, Norris had a comfortable lead over Piastri, with Russell still within striking distance. However, Norris started to report difficulties with his front tyres and ultimately moved aside for Piastri just before the finish line, allowing his teammate to take the win. Russell finished third, with Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, and Verstappen rounding out the points.

The result boosted McLaren’s push for the Constructors' Championship, extending their lead over Ferrari to 30 points.