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Piastri stays in Championship hunt with pole position
Nicholas Quinlan • November 29th, 2025 1:51 pm
Oscar Piastri has given himself the best chance of trying to close the gap in the Drivers’ Championship, having managed to claim pole for the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Overnight on Saturday, the Australian set a 1:20.055 around the Lusail International Circuit, which would see him outqualify Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.032 seconds to claim top spot.
It would be the 24-year-old's first pole since the Dutch Grand Prix, which was back in August.
Teammate and current leader of the World Drivers’ Championship, Lando Norris, finished third while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with whom Piastri is tied on points, claimed sixth.
Following his result, the McLaren driver delivered a short statement to his team.
“Nice to be back,” he said over the radio.
Later on, Piastri continued his positive reflection as he looks forward to the Sprint Race.
"It’s been a good day, which is nice for a change," he explained.
"It’s been a day where things have clicked from the start, and I think the Sprint Qualifying session went really well.
"There are obviously a few things to try and tidy up, but it’s nice to be able to say that when you’re starting on pole.
"I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Obviously, it’s only a Sprint pole and for a few points, but I’ll take whatever I can get."
Should Piastri win the Sprint race, he would claim eight points, which would help close the 24-point gap to Norris with there being two more races left before the season concludes.
The sprint race will take place tomorrow morning (AEDT) at 1am, with qualification for the main race taking place just hours after the conclusion of the 19-lap race.
The main race will take place on Monday at 3am.
