Lando Norris sees lead cut as Oscar Piastri cruises to Qatar sprint victory
By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, Doha
Oscar Piastri took two points out of Lando Norris’ world championship lead after he won the sprint race in Qatar.
Piastri converted his pole position into a comfortable victory under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Lusail International Circuit to reduce Norris’ advantage at the top to 22 points with 50 to play for.
Norris finished third, while Max Verstappen made up two places to take the chequered flag in fourth.
However, the Red Bull driver now trails Norris by 25 points. George Russell started and ended the 19-lap dash to the chequered flag in second.
Norris will be crowned champion if he outscores Piastri by four points, and finishes ahead of Verstappen in any position, in Sunday’s main event.
“I never saw him,”said Norris about the early pressure from Verstappen. “I just saw the drivers ahead. We tried to go forward and we got pretty close at the start. It is not easy to pass here so it is all about qualifying later.”
A mistake by Norris in the final metres of qualifying on Friday night allowed Piastri to take pole and the Australian made no mistake in Saturday’s race to claim his first win of any sort since the Dutch Grand Prix on the final day of August.
Piastri navigated the start, and then delivered a composed performance to boost to his slender title hopes.
Norris started third and came within inches of a tangle with Russell on the run down to the opening corner. Further back, Verstappen was on the move.
He launched his Red Bull underneath Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at the first turn and then cruised ahead of Yuki Tsunoda with his Red Bull team-mate affording him a free pass.
Norris’ papaya mirrors were occupied by Verstappen and at the start of lap three, the four-time world champion jinked to his right in the braking zone of the first turn. Verstappen was too far back and only moving to put the frighteners on his rival. It did not work.
Verstappen was then on the radio complaining about the handling of his Red Bull machine before Norris soon pulled out of DRS range by extending his advantage over the man he is looking to dethrone as champion by more than one second.
In a race of little drama, Piastri crossed the line 4.9 seconds clear of Russell with Norris 1.3secs further back. Verstappen was nine seconds behind Piastri.
Lewis Hamilton started 18th and finished 17th, 46s behind Piastri after just 19 laps of racing, to complete yet another sorry performance for Ferrari.
“I don’t know how but we made the car worse,” said Hamilton on the radio.
Qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix takes place at 2100 local time (1800 GMT).