Title contender Oscar Piastri wins the Qatar GP Sprint Race from pole position to close the gap to Lando Norris in the overall standings with just two grands prix to go in 2025
That's it for the Sprint Race, but it's not the end of the action today with Qualifying for what could be a crucial Qatar GP taking place later this evening at 18.00 UK time.
As the Sprint showed, overtaking is tough so qualifying will be crucial - can Norris get the edge back on Piastri.
Only one way to find out... until then, ciao for now
| 2025 F1 Qatar Grand Prix - Sprint Race Results | ||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Laps |
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | 19 laps |
| 2 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | +4.951s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | +6.279s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | +9.054s |
| 5 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Oracle Red Bull Racing | +19.327s |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | +21.391s |
| 7 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | +24.556s |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Atlassian Williams Racing | +27.333s |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | +28.206s |
| 10 | Alex Albon | THA | Atlassian Williams Racing | +28.925s |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | +32.966s |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | +34.529s |
| 13 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari HP | +35.182s |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | +36.916s |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | +38.838s |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | +39.638s |
| 17 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Scuderia Ferrari HP | +46.171s |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | +69.534s |
| 19 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | +77.960s |
| 20 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | BWT Alpine F1 Team | +80.804s |
"I tried to move forwards, we got pretty close at the start. Long stint it felt like, a lot of pushing, it will be a tough race tomorrow but it's not easy to pass around here. It's all about qualifying.
Looking ahead to qualifying: "George was almost on pole, so he is showing the Mercedes is quick - it will be close, it won't be an easy one. I am looking forward to it."
"It was a good race, good to get P2. Those last two laps were a real struggle, this track is so quick - it's an enjoyable track to drive, but it's brutal on the cars and the tyres.
On the physicality of the circuit: "I was trying to rest [my neck] as much as I could, it's pretty brutal, it's like 5G for what feels like forever, but it's cool, it is what it should be like everywhere."
"It has been a good weekend so far, everything went smoothly in the Sprint. Happy with how it has been so far, just need to keep it rolling.
"It is a very different circuit to where we have been, high-speed speed, higher grip... the last couple of weekends things have been going wrong, rather than a lack of pace. Everything has gone smoothly so far and the pace has been strong.
5secs time penalty for Kimi Antonelli
Another swapperoo in the post-race results as Antonelli exceeds track limits on the final lap, earning him a five second penalty.
It means he and Tsunoda swap positions again, with the Japanese - who was also penalised five seconds - returning to fifth, Antonelli sixth
A third Qatar Sprint win in a row for Piastri comes at just the right time for the Australian.
There will be 22 points between Norris and Piastri for tomorrow's main Grand Prix.
If Norris wins tomorrow, he will be champion
Victory for Oscar Piastri, comfortably clear of George Russell in second and Lando Norris in third.
Verstappen, Antonelli, the penalised Tsunoda, Alonso and Sainz complete the points' paying positions
Piastri is in cruise mode as he heads to his first victory since the Dutch GP - a much needed confidence boost that will reduce the lead to Norris to 22 points.
Norris will extend his lead over Verstappen to 25 points.
Interestingly, Tsunoda's track limits violation is for being four-wheels off course on the entry to the fast left-hand Turn 15, not the exit.
The good news is Tsunoda is only set to drop a single position to Antonelli on the results sheet
5secs time penalty for Yuki Tsunoda - it'll put him behind Antonelli and Alonso at the moment, but he could still grab a couple of points here if he ups his pace
Fernando Alonso runs well wide out of the final corner to kick up the dust - it's invite Antonelli needs to snatch sixth place on the run to Turn 1
Yuki Tsunoda is having one of his best showings in the Red Bull up in fifth, but he has just one more strike left for track limits before he gets a penalty
Leclerc's afternoon goes from bad to worse.
The Ferrari driver is down in 13th after wandering off track on lap one, but another wide moment over the kerbs has allowed Lawson to pass him.
However, Lawson is judged to have passed off track and is told to give the position back, which he does
Not a single overtake completing after the opening few turns, but Antonelli is keeping the pressure on Alonso for sixth
The race is settling now with more than one-second splitting every driver inside the top ten now.
Piastri leads Russell by 1.6s, while Norris is 1.8s behind Russell.
Verstappen, after looking racy initially, is now losing ground and complaining that his Red Bull is bouncing around
Verstappen sets the fastest lap, but Norris has reeled in Russell enough to latch into his DRS buffer.
Piastri has cleared Russell enough to stay out of DRS range
Not so Norris, who has Verstappen looming right behind him - a faint to the inside into Turn 1 comes to nothing, but the pressure is on the Brit in that one and only DRS zone down the home straight
Bad start for Leclerc, down to 13th from 9th on the grid - torrid start to the day ahead for Ferrari?
1- Piastri
2- Russell
3- Norris
4- Verstappen
5- Tsunoda
6- Alonso
7- Antonelli
8- Sainz
Piastri leads into Turn 1, as Russell holds off Norris
Verstappen beats Alonso off the line and then gets straight past Tsunoda - up to fourth
The Qatar GP Sprint Race is GO!
Warm-up lap underway and after some confusing regarding tyre choice, it's mediums for the top ten for this lights-to-flag race
5mins to go until it is lights out in this Sprint Race - can this 19-lap race get us any closer to finding out who will be crowned 2025 F1 World Champion?
Meanwhile, it is going to be a fairly thin grid getting away for this Sprint with four drivers electing to start from the pit-lane
One of them is Lewis Hamilton, whose dreary end to his first season with Ferrari continued in qualifying en route to just 18th.
He is joined on the sidelines off the lights by Lance Stroll's Aston Martin, plus the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto
