Norris Third As Title Rival Piastri Takes Qatar Sprint Pole

Lando Norris could suffice only 3rd for nan sprint title astatine nan Qatar Grand Prix - connected nan play nan McLaren driver could clinch nan world title for nan first time.

Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri, 1 of his 2 title rivals, took pole, pinch Mercedes' George Russell second.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen - tied pinch Piastri successful nan title race, 24 points down Norris - had a difficult convention and will line-up sixth for nan sprint.

Norris cannot triumph nan title aft nan sprint connected Saturday, but tin successful nan expansive prix connected Sunday if he tin summation 2 points connected some Piastri and Verstappen.

Piastri had a soft qualifying for nan sprint, fastest connected some his flying laps.

Norris, conscionable hundredths down Piastri connected his first lap, ran wide retired of nan last area connected his 2nd thigh and was pipped by Russell.

Piastri, who has seen Norris dress up 50 points connected him since he won nan Dutch Grand Prix astatine nan extremity of August said: "It's been a bully day, which is bully for a change.

"The car has felt bully each day. We made immoderate bully adjustments into qualifying. The gait was location each day."

Norris said: "The gait was there, I conscionable made a correction successful nan past area connected my first thigh and didn't put it together. I'm stupid to not effort and win. See what I tin find overnight.

"It's intolerable to overtake, truthful I deliberation I americium astir apt going to decorativeness P3 but if I tin astatine slightest get George disconnected nan line, that's astir apt nan astir I tin dream for."

There are 8 points for a triumph successful nan sprint, 7 for 2nd and truthful on, down to eighth place.

Piastri's rod came contempt a awesome oversteer infinitesimal connected nan introduction to Turn Four, which he estimated had costs him astir 0.2secs and he described arsenic "pretty scary - turning near successful a right-hand area is ne'er good, particularly erstwhile you're doing nevertheless galore hundreds of kilometres an hr you're doing there".

Underlying Verstappen's troubles, nan Dutchman was beaten by his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda successful qualifying for nan first clip this season, nan Japanese faster by 0.009secs.

It whitethorn transpire that Verstappen's car was handicapped erstwhile he group his fastest time.

He ran disconnected way astatine nan exit of Turn Four connected his first attempt, bouncing crossed nan gravel trap violently, nan benignant of incident successful which an F1 car's level tin incur damage, though he did not mention it successful his interview.

He was besides complaining, pinch added committedness words, done nan convention complete nan power astir nan car bouncing.

Verstappen said: "Not good. From nan first thigh conscionable really bad bouncing and very fierce understeer that would move into oversteer successful precocious speed. Just not what you want. We tried to alteration a fewer things connected nan instrumentality but it ne'er really worked.

"With this balance, successful nan sprint it will not beryllium a batch of fun. It will beryllium much astir trying to past and past make immoderate changes going into qualifying."

Although overshadowed by nan title fight, arguably nan prima of sprint qualifying was Fernando Alonso, who put nan Aston Martin 4th connected nan grid - an outstanding capacity for a squad that lies eighth successful nan constructors' championship.

"One of nan champion results of nan year," he said. "Tough circuit, high-speed sections and nan car seemed successful nan model already successful P1 Q3. A spot of accent successful Q2 because of postulation but we made it into Q3 and past we put a thigh together.

"Twenty-four years' experience, 44 years old, it has immoderate disadvantages. I get a spot much tired pinch nan pitchy lag, but I cognize nan tracks, nan tyres, and cognize really to extract everything connected Fridays and past connected Saturdays it's existent we unfastened parc ferme and make immoderate mini changes to nan cars and everyone seems to get connected apical of nan circuit.

Behind him, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli was seventh, pinch nan Williams of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon sandwiching Leclerc.

Hamilton said almost thing successful his sole media question and reply aft nan session.

Asked really tricky nan car was, he said: "Same arsenic always."