Oscar Piastri secured the third starting position during the sprint qualification in Qatar. The young Australian only had to concede to George Russell and teammate Lando Norris. The latter will start from pole position during the Saturday program. As such, McLaren is performing well in Qatar. With the constructors’ championship in mind, both drivers are currently in a good position.
“It was pretty tough,” Oscar Piastri responded after the session. Despite the relatively cool weather, the McLaren driver reflected on a ‘tough’ session in the desert. “It wasn’t the best lap of my life, but under these conditions, it’s tough. I struggled a bit at the start, but towards the end, I felt like I was getting into the flow.”
Nevertheless, Piastri enjoyed this first trial in Qatar. The fast Lusail International Circuit is not without reason a favorite among the drivers. “It’s really a great track to drive on,” he continued. “Moreover, there’s a lot more grip than last year, so high-speed corners are a lot of fun.” With Lando Norris in the first starting position and Oscar Piastri in P3, McLaren is in a good position to score many points during the sprint. With the constructors’ championship in mind, team boss Andrea Stella is cautiously satisfied.
“P1, P3 – better than Vegas,” the Italian reacted. “Oscar (Piastri) lost a little bit of lap time, but the car was competitive, especially on the medium tires, which is important for the sprint and the race itself. But let’s not celebrate too early. Mercedes is within a tenth of a second, and Ferrari is also very close.
