Oscar Piastri converted his sprint pole position into a dominant victory
Australian registered his first race win in any format since the Dutch Grand Prix in August
Closed the gap to Lando Norris to 22 points after his McLaren teammate finished third, ahead of Max Verstappen
Oscar Piastri reignited his charge for the Formula One title after converting his pole position into a dominant victory in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint on Saturday.
Piastri crossed the line almost five seconds quicker than the Mercedes of George Russell to register his first race win in any format since the Dutch Grand Prix in August.
The Australian closed the gap to championship leader Lando Norris to 22 points after his McLaren team-mate finished third, ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Indeed, Verstappen's hopes of a fifth-straight drivers' crown now rest on Sunday's race, with the gap between himself and Norris at 25 points with just two races remaining.
Kimi Antonelli thought he had come home in fifth, but was handed a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits, promoting Yuki Tsunoda into the top five.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Williams' Carlos Sainz rounded off the top eight, while it was another disappointing race for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing 13th and 17th, respectively.
Data Debrief: Piastri delivers again for Qatar hat-trick
Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, McLaren confirmed that they would let Piastri and Norris battle it out for the crown as long as it was mathematically possible for both of them to win it.
And Piastri delivered a statement of intent to seal the third sprint victory of his career, all of which have come at Lusail International Circuit.
This part of the world seemingly brings the best out of Piastri. Indeed, ahead of Sunday's grand prix, he has won the last two races to take place in the Middle East (Bahrain and Saudi Arabia).
TOP 8
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
8. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 396
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 374
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 371
Constructors'
1. McLaren – 770
2. Mercedes – 441
3. Red Bull – 400
