McLaren Shines as Piastri Grabs Pole in Qatar Sprint

Oscar Piastri secured pole position for McLaren in the Qatar sprint race, with teammate Lando Norris qualifying third. Max Verstappen starts sixth. Norris leads the championship by 24 points. Mercedes' George Russell and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso also in top positions.

Oscar Piastri delivered a stellar performance for McLaren by securing pole position in the Qatar sprint race on Friday, while his teammate, F1 championship front-runner Lando Norris, qualified third.

The other title contender, Red Bull's Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, will begin Saturday's race in sixth place, trailing his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who is starting in fifth.

Mercedes' George Russell will start second, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso qualified in fourth, adding to the high-stakes line-up.

(With inputs from agencies.)