Qatar Grand Prix – Sprint race: Teamwork at McLaren

For the first of the two races this weekend, Lando Norris starts from pole position. George Russell completes the front row while Oscar Piastri is third. At Alpine, Pierre Gasly starts in 8th position and Esteban Ocon in 18th position.

The departure

At the lights out, Lando Norris manages to hold onto the lead. At the first turn, Oscar Piastri jumps on George Russell and overtakes him. Max Verstappen falls to 9th place. All the cars are on medium tires. Only Guanyu Zhou is on hard tyres. Degradation is very significant on this track, it represents a real challenge for the drivers who want to go all the way without going through the pits.

A Piastri-Russell duel is unfolding. The Briton attacks several times, but cannot find the space. At McLaren, they work as a team. If Oscar Piastri defends Russell to protect his teammate, Lando Norris leaves a calculated gap to give Piastri DRS each lap since the start.

At the mid-race, the podium remains unchanged. Carlos Sainz is 4th, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Nico Hülkenberg and Max Verstappen complete the top 8.

Beautiful battles and magnificent teamwork at McLaren

Charles Leclerc attacks Lewis Hamilton and overtakes him after a tense duel. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is asked to help his teammate. McLaren wants to secure as many points as possible to keep Ferrari at bay in the fight for the constructor championship. Pierre Gasly is 9th, on the doorstep of scoring points. Esteban Ocon, on the other hand, is 14th.

McLaren’s strategy is right. The two papaya-colored cars finish on the top two steps of the podium. George Russell is third. Then we find the two Ferraris. McLaren scores 15 points against 9 for Ferrari. The British team could be crowned as soon as tomorrow.

The results table of the Sprint race of the Qatar Grand Prix