F1 Today | Piastri fights back, Norris and Verstappen doubt Sprint progress

The Australian driver topped Sprint Qualifying of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix. George Russell will start alongside him on the front row, while Lando Norris completed the top three.

After the session, Piastri admitted that he thought his lap was over by Turn 4. He told Sky Sports: "It almost went horribly wrong at Turn 4! Turning left in a right-hand corner is never a good thing. I lost two tenths."

Norris and Max Verstappen made mistakes in SQ3 as well. The Briton went wide in the last corner on his final lap, while the Dutchman did the same in Turn 4 on his first attempt. They will start the Sprint from third and sixth place on the grid.

Both Norris and Verstappen doubt they will have the chance to overtake during the Sprint.

The McLaren driver said: "I would be stupid not to try and win but it is impossible to overtake so I think I will probably finish P3."

Verstappen added: "With this balance [on the RB21], it will not be a lot of fun. It will be more about trying to survive I guess and make some changes going into qualifying."

Talking to GPblog, Red Bull top advisor Helmut Marko also commented Verstappen's issues on the soft tyres.

The seven-time world champion was already eliminated in SQ1 at the Losail International Circuit after finishing only 18th. Hamilton kept it brief in his interview after the session.

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