Norris Loses Sprint Pole Chance to Piastri

Norris, who led Piastri after the first Q3 runs at previous venues this season, could not convert his pace at Lusail, ending up third on the grid behind Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell. The result tightens the intra‑team title battle, with Piastri starting ahead and holding a prime opportunity to close Norris’ 24‑point championship lead in Saturday’s Sprint.

A Scruffy SQ3: Mistake Then Traffic

Norris’ SQ3 unravelled across both of his attempts. On his first flying lap he made a significant mistake at the final corner, dipping a wheel into the gravel on exit and abandoning what had been a competitive run to challenge Piastri’s benchmark.

On his second attempt, Norris found himself too close to Alex Albon’s Williams as he began his push lap, leaving his tyre preparation and airflow far from ideal. The combination of compromised tyres and disturbed air meant he could not improve, leaving his earlier “banker” time only good enough for P3.

How Piastri and Russell Capitalised

Piastri appeared vulnerable when Russell produced a stellar final lap to briefly grab provisional pole for Mercedes. The Australian responded immediately, finding a crucial improvement to reclaim P1 by 0.032s with a 1:20.055, a new sprint qualifying lap record at Lusail.

With Norris failing to improve, McLaren missed out on a front‑row lockout, instead locking in P1 and P3 while Russell split the papaya cars in second place.

Norris acknowledged that “the pace was there” but accepted responsibility for not delivering, pointing to his final‑corner error and the poorly timed decision to let Albon through.

Strategic Stakes for McLaren and the Title Fight

McLaren now head into the Sprint with Piastri leading the field and Norris on the inside of row two. For Piastri, pole is a vital platform to chip away at the 24‑point deficit to his teammate. With Verstappen only on the third row (P6), a clean McLaren start could see the papaya pair maximise points relative to Red Bull.

Norris reiterated that, from third on the grid, he would be “stupid not to try and win” the Sprint if the opportunity arises, underlining that his title approach remains attacking rather than conservative.