McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stormed to pole position for the Sprint at the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, delivering a commanding final lap to beat Mercedes’ George Russell by just 0.032 seconds. Championship leader Lando Norris secured P3, locking out a strong McLaren presence at the front, while Red Bull title contender Max Verstappen could only manage P6 after a difficult SQ3.

The dramatic qualifying session at Lusail saw big shocks, unpredictable car behaviour and multiple deleted lap times — with Lewis Hamilton suffering the biggest blow after being knocked out in SQ1.

Hamilton Eliminated in SQ1 as Verstappen Leads Early Pace

The opening segment provided the first major upset of the evening. Lewis Hamilton, struggling to find grip and pace, hovered around the drop zone throughout SQ1. Despite a final push, the Ferrari driver’s 1:22.043 left him only 15th before late improvements pushed him down to P18 — his earliest Sprint Qualifying exit of the season.

At the front, Max Verstappen set the benchmark with a 1:21.172, narrowly ahead of Fernando Alonso, while Piastri placed third. Norris and Nico Hülkenberg completed the early top five.

Norris Leads SQ2, Tsunoda Shines, Antonelli Scrapes Through

In SQ2, Lando Norris clocked a 1:20.956, edging out Piastri by 0.049s. Verstappen improved to P3 with a 1:21.003, pushing Russell to fourth.

Yuki Tsunoda continued his strong form, taking P5 for Red Bull ahead of Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Alex Albon.

There was late drama for Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who narrowly progressed after Isack Hadjar’s final lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. The Frenchman dropped from a potential SQ3 position to P11, exiting ahead of fellow rookies Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto.

SQ3: Piastri Delivers Under Pressure as Verstappen Falters with Porpoising

Piastri laid down a commanding first lap of 1:20.241 to take provisional pole. Norris trailed by just 0.044s but lost time after a snap late in the lap.

Verstappen, meanwhile, battled severe and unpredictable porpoising. The Dutchman bounced off track at Turn 4 and skated through the gravel, leaving him P10 entering the final runs.

In the closing moments, Russell fired in a superb 1:20.087 for provisional pole — but Piastri, just seconds behind on track, improved again. The Australian posted 1:20.055, reclaiming P1 by 0.032s and securing his first Sprint pole of 2025.

Norris held P3 despite traffic issues with Albon, while Alonso and Tsunoda completed the top five. Verstappen recovered only to P6, marking the first time he has been outqualified by a teammate since the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.