Piastri cuts Norris’ title lead with Qatar GP sprint race win

With victory in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri extended Lando Norris’ championship lead by two points to two.

The Australian led a smooth race from beginning to end, with Norris coming home behind Mercedes’ George Russell and the top three finishing in the order they entered.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull moved up from sixth place in the standings, allowing Norris to take the championship lead by one point.

Verstappen and Piastri are now tied for first place in the standings for Sunday’s grand prix by 25 points.

He will be the champion if Norris wins the grand prix. The final race in Abu Dhabi on Saturday will be held if either Verstappen or Piastri wins.

Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda, team-mates, were separated at the start as they passed Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, who had placed fourth on the grid for his uncompetitive car. The Japanese then let the Dutchman pass.

Verstappen struggled with Norris for the first few laps, even making an attempt to overtake the Briton at one point, but he eventually started dropping back and complaining about bouncing and jumping from his car.

The only overtaking move in the points positions was made after the first three corners when Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli capitalized on Alonso’s running wide out of the final corner at the end of lap 12 to pass down Turn One at the start of the following lap.

For exceeding track limits too many times, leaving both Tsunoda and Antonelli in the same fifth and sixth positions, penalties wereimposed for five seconds.

Aston Martin’s seventh-place Alonso scored two important points, while Carlos Sainz of Williams’ eighth-placedd the final score.