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The grid for the 2025 F1 Qatar GP is set, and we have Oscar Piastri making a return to the front. The Australian beat Lando Norris and George Russell to secure pole for Saturday and marked his return to form.
The third title rival, Max Verstappen, had a less-than-positive session, as he will start the race from P6 and was even slower than Yuki Tsunoda.
Looking ahead to the sprint, there is no obligation for stint length that has been prescribed by the FIA, and hence it is more or less going to be a one-stopper. While that is the case, what can we expect from the F1 Qatar GP sprint? Let's take a look.
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#5 The sprint might be a bit processional
With clear demarcations in terms of pace and tire life on different sets, it does appear that for the F1 Qatar GP, drivers aren't going to gamble much and will just stick with the medium tire for the race.
As a result, without much of a variance in terms of performance or tire life, we're potentially looking at a slightly processional sprint where there won't be that many changes in position.
#4 Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari makes progress through the field
Charles Leclerc is starting the sprint outside of the top 5, and it is partly a result of the not-so-optimal conditions. For the F1 Qatar GP sprint, however, the driver should have a better pace than some of his contemporaries and make his way through the field to a top 5 result.
He would have to make his way through cars like Williams and Racing Bulls, and it's not going to be easy. But with this being a sprint, we might see Leclerc pull off some impressive moves nonetheless.
#3 Fernando Alonso goes backwards in the race
Fernando Alonso put together a sensational lap to put Aston Martin in P4. The car does appear to be in better shape around this track, but as has notoriously been the case this season, the car ends up going back as the race commences.
The qualifying pace and the form in the race are not the same, and Alonso could struggle with it as faster cars try to make their way through.
#2 Max Verstappen finishes ahead of Lando Norris
This might be a bold one, but if we look at where the drivers are on the starting grid, it starts to make sense. Max Verstappen is in P6, but he has both Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso in front of him.
His teammate is going to be light work for sure, and we can expect Alonso to eventually give way as well. This will bring Max Verstappen right behind Lando Norris on track. While it might seem unfathomable at this stage, that development is potentially good to lead to the Dutch driver getting the jump on the British driver.
#1 Oscar Piastri wins the F1 Qatar GP sprint
Oscar Piastri announced his return to form at the F1 Qatar GP when he secured pole for the sprint. Out of the three contenders, the one that has possibly the least pressure right now is Piastri, and he's made the most of that.
The Australian's going to start his race on pole and more or less approach the F1 Qatar GP sprint with a bit more freedom than the other two.
We're backing Piastri to pick up a win and close the gap to Lando Norris even further.
