Oscar Piastri controlled the Qatar F1 Sprint from start to finish, pulling away early and managing late vibration concerns to take a decisive victory ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, trimming his championship deficit as the title fight tightened heading into the final rounds.
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Start
Oscar Piastri got away cleanly and immediately opened a small gap at the front. Fernando Alonso slipped back to sixth, while Yuki Tsunoda let Max Verstappen through without resistance.
Laps 2-6
The order settled; Verstappen chased Lando Norris, but the gaps stabilized.
Laps 7-10
Verstappen reported heavy bouncing again, similar to his earlier sessions. At the same time, a sizable piece appeared to detach from Carlos Sainz’s car, but he continued.
Charles Leclerc tried to attack Oliver Bearman into Turn 1 but could not complete the move.
Lap 11
Tsunoda received a black-and-white warning for track limits.
Tire degradation became noticeable for several drivers. Leclerc then ran wide into the gravel, rejoining alongside Lawson; Lawson tried an outside pass but Leclerc pushed him off the track, and the team told Lawson to give the position back.
Laps 12-14
Alonso made a mistake, which allowed Kimi Antonelli to pass him cleanly.
Tsunoda was handed a 5-second penalty for repeated track-limit violations.
Lance Stroll made a pit stop, clearly testing tire behavior for the main race rather than fighting for points.
Laps 16-18
Piastri reported vibrations and began avoiding the curbs to protect his tires. Antonelli also received a black-and-white flag for track limits.
Bearman slid through the gravel but managed to continue without significant loss.
Finish
Piastri controlled the final lap and won convincingly, ahead of Russell, Norris, and Verstappen. Tsunoda and Antonelli followed, though Antonelli also received a 5-second penalty after the race. Alonso and Sainz completed the points positions.
With this victory, Piastri slightly reduced his championship deficit to Norris – a useful gain heading into the final rounds.
The full results of the Sprint Race, according to FIA.com:
