Oscar Piastri claimed victory in the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint after teammate Lando Norris allowed him to pass on the final corner, securing a McLaren one-two finish.
Norris had led from the start and seemed poised to clinch his second Sprint win of the 2024 season. However, in a gesture mirroring a less dramatic exchange during the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix Sprint earlier in November, he slowed on the approach to the chequered flag to hand the win to Piastri.
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The manoeuvre was not without risk, as Mercedes’ George Russell was closely trailing. Nevertheless, Norris executed the move successfully, enabling McLaren to maximise their points haul and extend their Constructors’ Championship lead over Ferrari to 30 points ahead of Sunday’s main race.
Qatar GP Sprint Race Results
2024 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Race, 30 November 2024
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | 27:03.010 | 8 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | +0.136s | 7 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 19 | +0.410s | 6 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 19 | +1.326s | 5 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 19 | +5.073s | 4 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 19 | +5.650s | 3 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +8.508s | 2 |
| 8 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | +10.368s | 1 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 19 | +14.513s | 0 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +15.485s | 0 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +19.204s | 0 |
| 12 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +23.351s | 0 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +24.421s | 0 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 19 | +30.379s | 0 |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +33.062s | 0 |
| 16 | 30 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT | 19 | +34.356s | 0 |
| 17 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 19 | +35.102s | 0 |
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +35.639s | 0 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +71.436s | 0 |
| 20 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | +74.371s | 0 |
Norris Makes Risky Repayment to Piastri
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc minimised Ferrari’s losses by securing fourth and fifth, respectively. Leclerc overtook Lewis Hamilton on lap 13 after initially losing out to the Mercedes driver at the start.
Despite a stellar start that saw him pass newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen, Hamilton ultimately finished sixth. Verstappen endured a tough opening lap, falling to ninth before recovering one position to finish eighth and claim the final point.
Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg delivered a standout performance, climbing from ninth on the grid to finish seventh. His result bolstered Haas’ advantage over Alpine and Red Bull in the fiercely contested battle for sixth in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship.
Before Lando Norris’ slim hopes for the drivers’ title were extinguished by Verstappen in Las Vegas last weekend, Oscar Piastri had demonstrated his team-first mentality by allowing Norris through with two laps remaining in the São Paulo Sprint. In Qatar, the favour was returned—but in dramatic fashion.
McLaren, keen to maintain equality between their two talented young drivers, appeared to orchestrate a strategic switch, though the method proved daring. After Piastri surged past George Russell for second at the start, Norris tactically dropped back to provide DRS assistance, shielding his teammate from Mercedes’ relentless pressure.
As Russell loomed dangerously close, McLaren seemed unlikely to risk a late position swap. Yet Norris slowed exiting the final corner, allowing Piastri to slip ahead. The duo crossed the line a mere 0.136 seconds apart, with Russell following just 0.274 seconds behind.
Piastri’s victory marked his second Sprint win and his second consecutive triumph in the shortened Qatar race, further cementing his burgeoning reputation in F1.
Elsewhere, the highlight of the race was an engaging battle between future teammates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. At the start of lap 13, the pair went wheel-to-wheel through several corners, making minor contact before Leclerc ultimately edged ahead in his Ferrari.
Max Verstappen had an uncharacteristically challenging race, losing three positions on the opening lap due to grip issues. Despite his efforts, he could only overtake Alpine’s Pierre Gasly to secure the final point in eighth place, as Nico Hulkenberg’s impressive pace kept him out of reach.
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