Piastri continues title resurgence with massive pole lap in Qatar Grand Prix

The McLaren driver clocked the quickest time of the session – ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Piastri, who appears to have revived since his dip in form following the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, set a staggering 1:19.382, fast enough for pole position.

Mercedes driver George Russell finished in fourth place, with Kimi Antonelli in fifth. Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top 10.  

The first round of qualifying kicked off with the Williams duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon lighting up the timing sheets. The pair were quickly replaced by Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto after the two rookies set their lap times.

The order continued to change throughout much of the session until George Russell, who despite complaining about his steering wheel, set a stonking lap time of 1:20.074, ahead of Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.

The biggest casualty of the session was Lewis Hamilton, who could only manage a lap time quick enough for 18th place.

He was joined by Red Bull Racing’s Yuki Tsunoda, who was eliminated in the final stretch of the Q1 session by Gabriel Bortoleto. Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Franco Colapinto completed the list of drivers who suffered first-round exits during Qatar qualifying.

The second round of qualifying continued in the same manner as the first, this time with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc struggling to match the lap times of the front runners. Several other drivers, including Norris, also struggled to put a lap time on the board throughout the session until the final stretch.

However, it was Piastri who led the session with the first lap in the 1 minute 19s, posting a time of 1:19.650. The Australian, who won the Sprint race, was followed by teammate Norris, ahead of Verstappen, who was three-tenths of a second behind the 24-year-old.

While Piastri enjoyed a far more successful session compared to Q1, the same could not be said for Nico Hulkenberg, who, alongside Liam Lawson, Bearman, Bortoleto, and Albon, failed to progress to the final stages of qualifying.

Stay in on the action as the Qatar Grand Prix weekend unfolds. Enjoy every inside scoop and analysis from the F1 paddock as the action continues at the Lusail International Circuit.

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