Norris hands Qatar sprint win to Piastri for McLaren one-two

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Lando Norris gave up victory in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race to team-mate Oscar Piastri as they crossed the line ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.

As a payback for Piastri handing victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race to Norris earlier this month, the Briton slowed on the final straight to allow the Australian to cross the line first.

Norris had led the race from the start and helped Piastri defend from Russell’s attacks.

Russell, who started second but was passed by Piastri at Turn Two on the first lap, threatened the Australian throughout the race.

But Norris ensured he measured his pace to give Piastri the use of the DRS overtaking aid, so Russell could not quite get close enough to pass.

Norris was handed victory in the Brazil sprint by Piastri to boost his title chances, which ended in Las Vegas last weekend.

He said: “I planned to do it since Brazil. It was probably a little bit sketchy - the team told me not to do it, but I thought we could get away with it and we did. I don’t mind. I'm not here to win sprint races. I’m here to win grands prix and world championships, but that's not gone to plan.

“We scored a one-two. That’s what we were aiming for. We’re happy as a team. I probably could have pushed a little bit more than I was doing but we wanted to keep the others behind and I was trying to make sure George could not get ahead.”

Piastri said: “It was defence the whole race. Just didn’t quite have the pace. Some great team work. Without that help, it would have been a much more difficult sprint.”

“I understand why they did that,” Russell said, “but nevertheless it was pretty infuriating. Nevertheless, this afternoon is the big one.”

Russell, who will be aiming to take pole for the grand prix in qualifying later after narrowly missing out in sprint qualifying on Friday, made two overtaking attempts into Turn One, and each time felt Piastri had defended too late.

McLaren will clinch the constructors’ title this weekend if they finish one-two in both the sprint and the grand prix and claim fastest lap in the main race on Sunday.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was the fourth car in the leading ‘DRS train’ throughout the event.

Charles Leclerc, his Ferrari colleague, fought back after being overtaken by Lewis Hamilton on the first lap. He passed the seven-time champion - his future-team-mate - with six laps to go and took fifth.

Leclerc dived for the inside at Turn One, and they battled side by side around the next two corners, a left and a right before the Ferrari driver sealed the move into Turn Four.

Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg was seventh, while new world champion Max Verstappen took eighth - having fallen from sixth on the grid to ninth on the first lap, passed by both Hamilton and Hulkenberg as they battled around the first four corners.

Verstappen was overtaken by Hamilton at Turn One, and lost out to Hulkenberg and then Gasly after two oversteer snaps through Turn Two and then Turn Four.