Australian Formula One star Oscar Piastri has reignited his championship aspirations with a crucial pole position for the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, declaring it felt good to be back in competitive form.
McLaren's Mixed Fortunes in Qualifying
The Melbourne-born driver ended a difficult six-week period without podium finishes by setting a new lap record of 1 minute 20.055 seconds at the Lusail International Circuit. Piastri edged out Mercedes driver George Russell by a mere 0.032 seconds to claim the top spot.
Piastri's McLaren teammate and current championship leader Lando Norris had to settle for third position on the grid. The British driver appeared resigned to his fate, stating overtaking would be nearly impossible during Saturday's shootout.
"I'd be stupid not to try and win, but it's impossible to overtake so I will probably finish P3," Norris commented. "Getting past George Russell on the line is probably the best I can hope for."
Red Bull's Struggles Continue
In further positive news for Piastri's championship campaign, joint second-placed contender Max Verstappen struggled dramatically in his Red Bull, qualifying only sixth fastest. The Dutch driver expressed clear frustration with his car's performance during qualifying.
"This f****** car, man, it's bouncing like an idiot," Verstappen complained over team radio after abandoning his first run in the final qualifying session.
Verstappen's difficult day was compounded by finishing behind his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified fifth. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso secured fourth position on the grid.
Piastri's Resurgence
Piastri's return to form came after he topped the timesheets in Friday's sole practice session with a lap of 1:20.924, just 0.058 seconds quicker than Norris. The Australian described his performance as "a day when things clicked" after his recent struggles.
"It's been a good day, which is nice for a change," Piastri smiled. "I'm pretty happy. It has been a while since I've been on P1."
The 23-year-old revealed his pole position lap nearly went wrong at turn four: "Turning left in a right-hand corner is never a good thing. I lost two-tenths. I thought that lap was over, but I kept pushing and was able to find some more time."
Despite acknowledging "it is only the sprint," Piastri emphasized he would "take what I can get" after demonstrating strong pace throughout Friday's sessions.
Championship Implications
With Norris holding a 24-point advantage in the standings, the British driver could potentially secure the title this weekend during the penultimate race of the season. However, Piastri demonstrated he remains firmly in contention by outqualifying his teammate by 0.230 seconds.
The Australian has previously shown strong form in Qatar sprint races, having achieved his first-ever F1 victory on the same circuit in 2023 and repeating the feat last year. A win in Saturday's sprint could earn Piastri a maximum eight points, narrowing the gap to Norris before qualifying for Sunday's main event.
Meanwhile, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton endured another disappointing session, being eliminated in Q1 and qualifying 18th. The Mercedes driver lamented that his car "couldn't go any quicker" and when asked about positives from the weekend, could only note that "the weather's nice."
Piastri's performance marks his first pole position since the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and his first sprint pole since July's Belgian Grand Prix, providing a timely boost to his championship ambitions as the season reaches its climax.
