Lando Norris claimed a powerful pole place for the Qatar GP Dash as McLaren struck the primary blow of their constructors’ title battle with Ferrari by taking first and third on Saturday’s grid.
5 days after he noticed his bid for the Drivers’ Championship towards Max Verstappen formally led to Las Vegas, Norris topped all three segments of Dash Qualifying across the high-speed Lusail Worldwide Circuit to assert a commanding pole.
However Mercedes’ George Russell – the race winner in Las Vegas – denied title-chasing McLaren a front-row lockout by pipping Oscar Piastri to the opposite front-row berth.
Norris’ pacesetting time of 1:21.012 was 0.063s forward of Russell, with Piastri an additional 0.096s adrift.
Ferrari, who path McLaren by 24 factors with two race weekends to go, had regarded fast within the earlier sole apply session however didn’t mount a problem for pole, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc qualifying solely fourth and fifth respectively.
New four-time champion Verstappen was by no means within the combine within the Purple Bull and will solely handle sixth, though that was nonetheless 10 locations forward of team-mate Sergio Perez.
With no finish to his Purple Bull struggles seemingly in sight, Perez was knocked out in SQ1 in sixteenth place – the seventh time in a qualifying session this yr that the Mexican has didn’t clear the primary hurdle.
Lewis Hamilton was once more outqualified comfortably by Mercedes team-mate Russell and can begin seventh, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly eighth.
Extra to comply with…
Sky Sports activities F1’s stay Qatar GP schedule
Saturday November 30
12.10pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
1pm: Qatar GP Dash build-up
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
3.30pm: Ted’s Dash Pocket book
4pm: F2 Dash Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Function Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP response
7pm: Ted’s Pocket book
System 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream the ultimate two F1 races and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
