Formula 1, Qatar Grand Prix: pole position for Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri lights up the night in Losail by taking a pole position that weighs both in prestige and statistical value. In fact, the one obtained in Qatar is his sixth pole of the year and of his career, an achievement that allows him to flank icons such as Emerson Fittipaldi, Phil Hill, Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann, Carlos Sainz and Ralf Schumacher, thus entering 43rd on the all-time list. Not only that, with this qualification Piastri also hits the 17th front row of his career, the 11th in 2025, joining historic figures such as Mike Hawthorn and George Russell in 48th place overall. For the young Australian, it is also the first pole in the Qatar GP and the first since that of Zandvoort 2025, which came 91 days ago.
A sign of continuity that confirms the exponential growth of the McLaren driver. Completing the Woking team’s celebration is Lando Norris, who will start from second position getting the 29th front row of his career, the 14th this season: a one-two that certifies McLaren’s effectiveness on the dry lap. Behind them will start Max Verstappen, third: the Dutchman hasn’t won a victory starting from this box since the 2023 Mexican GP, a statistic that adds a dash of uncertainty and fuels curiosity around the race. In a weekend in which McLaren seems to hold the best cards, Piastri arrives on Sunday with pressure but also the knowledge that he can play for a very heavy success for classification and morale.
This is the starting grid for the Qatar Grand Prix that will start Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Losail circuit: Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Lando Norris (McLaren), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), George Russell (Mercedes), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (Williams), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). This will be the fourth time it will be raced on the Losail circuit, in the last edition Max Verstappen triumphed: the Dutchman has been on the podium in all three previous editions, scoring 78 points overall in the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Qatar Grand Prix has been held since 2021 at the Losail circuit in Qatar. It is one of the Grand Prix hosted by a Middle Eastern nation along with those in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Sakhir and Saudi Arabia. In the first edition, the Qatar GP took the place of the Australian GP, which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The agreement between the Grand Prix organizers and Liberty Media provides for a 10-year term starting with the 2023 season since in 2022 the country was busy organizing the World Cup then won by Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Starting in 2023, a new track was to be built in place of the Losail circuit specifically for Formula 1 cars, then it was decided not to make changes to the track.
