Qatar GP: Formula 1 qualifying – Vestappen gets medal, Piastri wins sprint | Sports News

Max Verstappen takes pole position for F1's Qatar GP with Oscar Piastri winning the sprint race in Saturday's qualifying.

Lando Norris ignored team orders when he handed McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri victory in the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, while champion Max Verstappen took the bottom position of the Grand Prix.

With McLaren eyeing their first Formula 1 constructors' title in 26 years and George Russell closing in behind Mercedes, Norris was told by the team on the radio to “finish this way”, ahead of Piastri.

He chose to give his team-mate the win anyway, going down to the right on the exit of the final corner and going back in front of Russell, who finished third.

“The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could get away with it and we did,” Norris said. “To be honest, I don't mind. I'm not here to win races. I came to win races and the title, but that didn't go according to plan.”

Norris had Brazil on his mind in Qatar

Norris was paying Piastri to do the same at the race in Brazil when Norris was battling Verstappen for the driver's title.

“I decided on Brazil when it happened,” Norris said. “I had to do something to get it back.”

Piastri said he did not expect Norris to put himself in danger. “I knew it was possible. That surprised me about George for half a second [away]it happened,” said Piastri. “It just shows our teamwork and the absence of egos in the team.”

It continues a season in which McLaren's race tactics have often been the talk of the town, such as when Norris and Piastri swapped the lead in Hungary after a long and often uncomfortable radio exchange with the team.

On Saturday, Norris started from pole position and ended up taking the lead at the start as Piastri edged Russell for second. As Russell repeatedly attacked Piastri, Norris fell back instead of building a lead. That put Piastri within one second of Norris, allowing the Australian to use the DRS pass assist for more speed.

McLaren collaboration 'frustrates' Mercedes

Russell said he found McLaren's handling “very annoying” when they were stuck behind Piastri and objected to what he saw as a late move from Piastri to defend the position.

“Hopefully we can have a decent race [on Sunday] rather than this group ordering things,” said Russell.

The F1 champion didn't make much of an impact in the race but returned to qualifying form, taking the lead for Sunday's race from Russell by just .055 of a second in his final run.

It is his first pole since the Austrian Grand Prix in June, after McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all put pressure on the Red Bull team in the second half of the season.

“You are crazy. I mean, honestly, I didn't expect that,” said Verstappen. “We made a few changes to the car but I never thought it would change like this in practice.”

Qatar and Abu Dhabi will play a key role in deciding the F1 championship

Norris hit .252 and finished third, with Piastri fourth, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr.

McLaren increased its lead over Ferrari in the constructors' championship to 30 points, and has both its drivers ahead of the Ferraris on the grid.

Teams can earn a maximum of 88 more points at the Qatar Grand Prix and next week's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Red Bull dropped 67 points to McLaren in the standings as Verstappen – who won his fourth drivers' title last week in Las Vegas – finished eighth and his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez ended up after a pit stop to change the nose of his car.