F1 | Sprint Qualifying | Qatar GP | Piastri claims pole for Sprint Race; Verstappen 6th - Motorsport

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Oscar Piastri claimed a stunning Sprint Race pole at the 2025 F1 Qatar GP, setting a new track record in Sprint Qualifying under the floodlights at Lusail. The McLaren driver edged out teammate George Russell and championship leader Lando Norris, showcasing the team’s impressive pace throughout qualifying. While Max Verstappen set early benchmarks and briefly challenged at the front, he struggled to extract the performance from his Red Bull, ultimately finishing down the order, behind Fernando Alonso and teammate Yuki Tsunoda.

SQ1: Verstappen the top performer; Alonso, Hülkenberg and McLarens feature in top 5

The final Sprint Qualifying session kicked off under the floodlights of the Lusail International Circuit, with title contender Max Verstappen heading out first. Sitting third in the 2025 Championship on 366 points, level with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who topped the earlier Free Practice session, and 24 behind championship leader Lando Norris, Verstappen approached the 19-lap Sprint Qualifying with a clear opportunity to close the gap and keep his bid for a fifth world title alive.

Running on medium tyres, he set the early benchmark with a 1:22.258, placing himself ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, Williams’ Carlos Sainz, Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, and his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda. His time, however, was soon beaten by Isack Hadjar, who went top with a 1:21.987, just before Williams’ Alexander Albon moved up the order. Moments later, the McLaren duo completed their laps, with Norris leading Piastri to take P1 with a 1:21.621.

Verstappen on top with Alonso a challenger

With just over six minutes left on the clock, Verstappen returned to the top with a 1:21.494, setting the best times in Sectors 1 and 3. Fernando Alonso moved into P4 with a 1:21.909, ahead of Tsunoda, Sainz, and Hadjar. With five minutes remaining, Hamilton sat in P16, well off teammate Leclerc in P10. Franco Colapinto was P17 ahead of Lance Stroll, while both Mercedes drivers remained at the bottom, having not yet set a flying lap. Stroll improved to P15 with four minutes left, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli moved up to P16 with a 1:22.205, as Liam Lawson headed back to the pits. At the front, Piastri reclaimed P1 with a 1:21.286, ahead of Norris by 0.112. Verstappen held P3, still on his earlier lap, with Gabriel Bortoleto in P4 before George Russell improved to P5 with a 1:21.760.

Hamilton out in SQ1

Inside the final two minutes, Alonso delivered a stunning 1:21.276 to take P1, but Verstappen immediately responded with a 1:21.172 to retake the top spot. Down the order, Hamilton improved but only to P15, putting him at immediate risk. Antonelli’s jump to P11 knocked the seven-time champion out of qualifying, eliminating him along with Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, and Franco Colapinto. At the front, Nico Hülkenberg delivered a late improvement to P4, splitting the McLaren pair and pushing Norris down to P5. As the session ended and drivers returned to the pits, Race Control announced that Turn 1 and Turn 16 impeding incidents involving Norris and Verstappen had been noted. They were dismissed without further investigation ahead of SQ2.

Eliminated from SQ1:

Lance Stroll – P16
Liam Lawson – P17
Lewis Hamilton – P18
Pierre Gasly – P19
Franco Colapinto – P20

SQ2: Norris leads Piastri and Verstappen

SQ2 began with Verstappen once again setting the early benchmark, posting a 1:21.295. Shortly afterwards, he moved ahead of Leclerc, whose 1:21.491 came despite nearly spinning at the final corner. Meanwhile, McLaren immediately looked strong on their first runs, with Norris once again leading Piastri. Norris delivered a 1:20.956, while Piastri slotted in just 0.049 seconds behind with a 1:21.005. In addition, Russell—late to set a time in SQ1—went third with a 1:21.266, pushing Verstappen down the order. At the same time, VCARB’s Hadjar rounded out the top five with a 1:21.440, only 0.007 seconds ahead of Williams’ Sainz in P6.

With just under four minutes remaining, Antonelli improved to P7 with a 1:21.440 after opting for an additional preparation lap. Consequently, this dropped Haas’ Bearman to P11. As the session entered its final two minutes, Bearman, Ocon, Albon, Bortoleto and Alonso sat in the bottom five and risked missing out on SQ3. Soon after, Verstappen improved to a 1:21.036 to reclaim P3, still 0.080 seconds off Norris’ time. However, with most drivers gearing up for a final push, the leading positions remained far from secure.

In the closing minute, Leclerc improved with a 1:21.190, yet he still could not challenge the top three. Shortly afterwards, Tsunoda seized P4 with a 1:21.152, before Sainz moved into P5 on a 1:21.172. Then, Russell jumped to P4 under the chequered flag with a 1:21.136. Although Antonelli also improved, he remained in P10—claiming the final SQ3 spot only after Hadjar lost his time for exceeding track limits. Ultimately, Albon finished SQ2 in P8, with Alonso just behind in P9.

Eliminated from SQ2:

Isack Hadjar – P11
Oliver Bearman – P12
Gabriel Bortoleto – P13
Nico Hülkenberg – P14
Esteban Ocon – P15

SQ3: Piastri claims Sprint pole as Verstappen struggles

Antonelli, who narrowly secured a spot in SQ3 after Hadjar lost his lap time, was the first of the top 10 drivers to head out for the eight-minute shootout, leading the initial fight for Sprint Race pole. However, it was his teammate Russell who quickly set the early benchmark, posting a 1:20.528 with just over five minutes remaining. Meanwhile, Antonelli ran on new medium tyres like the rest of the field and initially settled for P2 with a 1:20.903. However, the other drivers quickly pushed him down the order as they set their laps.

Shortly afterwards, Piastri claimed the provisional pole with a 1:20.241. Despite setting the fastest times in Sectors 1 and 3, Norris could not surpass him, slotting into P2 on a 1:20.285. Further down the timesheet, Leclerc occupied P4 with a 1:20.622, ahead of Albon in P5 with a 1:20.788, Sainz in P6 with a 1:20.812, and Alonso in P7 with a 1:20.864. Interestingly, the Red Bull duo initially languished at the bottom of the SQ3 timesheet, with Tsunoda in P9 on a 1:22.111 and Verstappen, frustrated with his RB21’s performance, at the bottom of the top 10 without a representative lap.

With around 40 seconds remaining, Verstappen finally attempted his first flying lap in clear air. However, a poor first sector meant he was forced to settle for P4 on a 1:20.528, though his position immediately came under threat as other drivers improved. First, Tsunoda went ahead with a 1:20.519, while Alonso climbed to P4 on a 1:20.450. Then, Russell briefly claimed the top time with a 1:20.087. Ultimately, it was Piastri who secured pole in the 2025 F1 Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying and set a new track record, whereas Norris, having run wide, had to settle for P3.