A year after his first sprint victory, Oscar Piastri has once again won the shortened race in Qatar. The Australian was assisted by his teammate Lando Norris, who allowed Piastri to overtake him in the final meters. The British driver ignored McLaren’s team orders in doing so.
The Australian had a fantastic start during the sprint race, overtaking George Russell, who started in P2, within the first few meters. Even when the British driver attempted to retake Piastri multiple times, the McLaren driver held his ground. Just before the finish line, Piastri was handed the victory by teammate Lando Norris, who let the Australian pass him.
“It was defending throughout the entire race,” the newly crowned sprint race winner reflected after the session. “I had a good start and first corner, but the tires wore out quickly. I struggled throughout the rest of the sprint. We showed good teamwork, and without (Norris’, ed.) help, the sprint would have been much more difficult.”
‘We Can Still Improve’
Will the Australian change his approach for the later qualification? “Honestly, the change from qualification to the race is smallest here,” the Australian explains. “The grip feels very different here, and we go all out in the race. It’s a bit different, and hopefully, we can drive even faster.” Piastri is confident that the MCL38 can be a bit faster during the qualification later on Saturday. “I think so, but it’s very close. However, we can still improve.
