Lando Norris qualified in third place on the final Sprint Qualifying of the 2025 F1 season at the Qatar GP, as he saw his team-mate and championship rival Oscar Piastri claim pole by over two tenths over him, with George Russell’s Mercedes sandwiched in between the two McLarens.
“The pace was there” – Norris explains first lap “mistake” that cost him
Although his final SQ3 lap was compromised by running too close to Alex Albon’s Williams – who overtook him just before the last corner as the clock ticked down to zero – Norris believes the bigger problem was a “mistake” in missing a bit of the apex at the final corner in his first run:
“Yeah, [I was compromised on my final run], but it’s life,” said Norris. “The pace was there. I just made a mistake in the last corner on my first lap, and I didn’t put it together.
“So the pace was there, I just didn’t put it together.”
Why he will “probably” finish P3 in the Sprint
Given the championship situation, Norris can afford to take a more conservative approach in the Sprint, given that he would only lose two points to Piastri and gain three on Max Verstappen if it finishes as it starts.
And the McLaren F1 driver has almost resigned to that finishing position already, but not because of any championship thoughts. He believes it’s “impossible to overtake” around the Qatar GP circuit, which means that his best chance to move forward is to get past Russell off the start:
“No, of course, I’m stupid to not try and win,” he said when asked if he would still push for a Sprint victory tomorrow. “I mean, I’m here to try and win. So, I’ll see what I can find overnight and see what we can do for tomorrow.
“I mean, it’s impossible to overtake, so I think I’m probably going to finish P3. But if I can at least get George [Russell] off the line or something, then that’s probably the most I can hope for.“
Norris heads into the Sprint with a 24-point gap over Piastri and Verstappen, with 58 still up for grabs in the final stages of the 2025 F1 championship.
