Formula 1: McLaren Starts Decisive Battle With Ferrari From Sprint Pole

The 2024 Formula 1 champion has already been crowned, but the fight for the Constructors' Championship between McLaren and Ferrari is entering its final and most critical phase.

In yesterday’s sprint shootout qualification at the Qatar Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris dominated the field. He topped every segment of the session, clocking a best time of 1:21.012.

Teammate Oscar Piastri looked poised to secure a front-row lockout for McLaren before George Russell from Mercedes squeezed into second place with a lap just 0.063 seconds off Norris' time. Piastri ultimately settled for third, ahead of the Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished sixth, just ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. Pierre Gasly impressed again, taking eighth for Alpine, while Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) and Liam Lawson (Red Bull) completed the top ten.

Qatar Grand Prix: Sprint Shootout Qualification – Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:21.012
2. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.063
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.159
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.269
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.296
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.303
7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.462
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +0.966
9. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) +1.076
10. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) +1.565