SANTO DOMINGO. – Australian driver Oscar Piastri, from the McLaren team, took possession this Friday of the ‘minipole’ for the sprint race of the Qatar Grand Prix, after setting a time of 1:20.055 in the qualifying session held at the Lusail circuit.
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Piastri narrowly beat the British driver George Russell (Mercedes) by just 32 thousandths of a second and his teammate, Lando Norris, by 230 thousandths of a second in an intense session that left several surprises and contrasts.Alonso shines and gets fourth
The Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) signed a remarkable performance, placing himself in fourth position (+395), after showing competitive pace since SQ1. His compatriot Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished eighth, 487 thousandths of a second behind the leader.Verstappen fades after a mistake
Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), affected by a track exit four minutes from the end of SQ3, could not fight for pole and finished sixth (+473).His teammate in the negative session was Lewis Hamilton, who with his Ferrari was eliminated in SQ1 (18th) without time to complete his last lap.
Notable Eliminations
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) fell in SQ2 (13th).
- Franco Colapinto (Williams) did not advance from SQ1 (20th).
- In SQ2, the French Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) was eliminated, while the young Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) advanced by a narrow margin.
