2025 F1 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying: Piastri Takes Pole as Tsunoda Outpaces Verstappen

Sprint qualifying for Round 23 of the 2025 F1 World Championship, the Qatar Grand Prix, took place on Friday, November 28th at the Qatar International Circuit.

In a tight and eventful session, Oscar Piastri claimed sprint pole for McLaren ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes, with Lando Norris completing the top three.

Yuki Tsunoda delivered one of the standout performances of the evening, qualifying fifth and beating his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen on raw pace.

Piastri Beats Norris to Sprint Pole by Just 0.044s

Oscar Piastri secured pole position for the Sprint with a fastest lap of 1:20.055, edging out his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by just 0.044 seconds.

Norris, who ultimately finished third, looked set to challenge for the top spot on his final attempt, but his attack was disrupted and he couldn’t complete the lap as intended. Piastri, meanwhile, nailed his final run and continued the momentum McLaren have been building through the Qatar weekend.

The result strengthens Piastri’s confidence heading into the Sprint, and underlines McLaren’s raw pace around the flowing, high-speed layout of the Qatar International Circuit.

Russell Puts Mercedes on the Front Row

George Russell delivered a composed and intelligent performance to line up second on the sprint grid with a 1:21.087. On a night when switching between medium and soft tyres proved tricky to manage, Russell and Mercedes executed a strong “double warm-up” strategy, getting the tyres into the right window before pushing.

That approach allowed Russell to close the gap to Piastri and split the McLarens on the front row. Rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli also impressed, qualifying 7th, giving Mercedes a solid platform for the Sprint with both cars starting inside the top 10.

Tsunoda Shines in 5th as Verstappen Struggles with Bouncing

Yuki Tsunoda produced one of the standout laps of sprint qualifying, setting a 1:21.519 to secure 5th on the grid – crucially, ahead of his more decorated teammate Max Verstappen, who will start 6th.

Tsunoda maintained strong form throughout SQ2 and SQ3, extracting performance from the car particularly in the sharp mid- to high-speed sectors where confidence and precision make the difference. His lap had the feel of a race stint, combining aggression with control.

Verstappen, by contrast, was unhappy with the car balance and overall behaviour.

Complaining of “a lot of bouncing” over team radio, he struggled to unlock the full potential of the Red Bull and was unable to match Tsunoda’s pace.

Williams Double Top 10: Sainz 8th, Albon 10th

Williams produced a quietly impressive performance, placing both cars in the top 10 despite expecting Qatar to be a difficult circuit for them.

• Carlos Sainz Jr. qualified 8th, delivering a clean lap when it mattered.

• Alexander Albon took 10th, having successfully navigated heavy traffic at the end of SQ1 before maintaining his pace through to SQ3.

Given the team’s pre-weekend expectations, locking in two cars inside the top 10 is a valuable result that could translate into important points in the Sprint.

Hajjar Loses SQ3 Shot to Track Limits

For Racing Bulls, sprint qualifying ended in frustration. Isack Hadjar initially set a time good enough for 11th in SQ2, putting him on the verge of a breakthrough SQ3 appearance.

However, his lap was deleted for a track limits violation, dropping him to 12th and shutting the door on a realistic shot at the top 10.

Teammate Liam Lawson suffered an even tougher session, being eliminated in SQ1 and ending up 17th, leaving Racing Bulls with a mixed and ultimately disappointing result.

Hamilton’s Struggles Continue as Ferrari Fight Setup Issues

It was another difficult qualifying session for Lewis Hamilton, who could do no better than 18th in SQ1. Echoing his frustrations from Las Vegas, Hamilton reported over the radio that he simply “can’t go any faster,” as he grappled with a car lacking grip and stability.

Ferrari’s wider weekend remains complicated. While Charles Leclerc managed 9th, the car’s behaviour still looked unstable, and the team have yet to find a consistent setup window.

Leclerc faces another tough couple of days if Ferrari cannot unlock more performance ahead of the Sprint and Grand Prix.

With McLaren on sprint pole, Mercedes on the front row, and Tsunoda ahead of Verstappen, the Sprint at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix is set up for a tense fight – both for points and crucial momentum heading into Sunday’s main race.

Where to watch the Qatar GP Sprint Race: