McLaren achieves a 1-2 in Qatar GP sprint

Oscar Piastri took victory in the sprint race at the Qatar GP, thanks to a planned maneuver by Lando Norris to ensure the ideal result for McLaren. Norris, who led most of the race, allowed his teammate to cross the finish line first in a calculated gesture to reward Piastri's prior cooperation in Brazil.

From pole position, Norris maintained the lead into the first corner, while Piastri took advantage of better traction to overtake George Russell in a direct duel at the start. Once he secured second place, the Australian faced constant pressure from Russell, who used DRS to stay close for most of the 19 laps.

To protect Piastri's position, Norris adjusted his pace and stayed within DRS range, ensuring his teammate had an extra tool to defend against the Mercedes. Despite dealing with front tire wear, Norris continued to back Piastri, following the team's instructions.

On the final lap, Piastri lost the DRS benefit, allowing Russell to attempt one last attack. However, the McLaren driver maintained control until the end, crossing the line just ahead of Norris.

Russell finished third, followed by Carlos Sainz, who could not capitalize on DRS in his Ferrari to challenge the leaders. Charles Leclerc completed the top five after a brilliant move on Lewis Hamilton on lap 13, where the Monegasque used the DRS zone to overtake the Mercedes in a clean and well-calculated action.

Nico Hülkenberg earned important points for Haas by finishing seventh, while Max Verstappen, already crowned 2024 champion, had a tough start and finished eighth. The Dutchman was overtaken by several drivers after struggling with oversteer on the first lap but managed to recover the final points position by overtaking Pierre Gasly.

Kevin Magnussen closed the top 10 after a strong start, converting his 15th position on the grid into a positive result for Haas. Meanwhile, Zhou Guanyu and Sergio Pérez were the only drivers to make pit stops; Pérez faced issues from the start by starting from the pit lane and was stuck at the back of the pack after a front wing change.