2024 Qatar Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying Report “The team did a great job with the car, which gave me a lot of confidence"

Lusail International Circuit, Friday, 29 November

Hear from McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as well as Team Principal Andrea Stella, after Sprint Qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix.

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FP1 1m22.378s (+0.425s) 24 laps  2nd
SQ1 1m21.356s (Medium)   1st
SQ2 1m21.231s (Medium)   1st
SQ3 1m21.012s (Soft)   1st

“A good start to the weekend and that’s job done for today. We expected to be better here, it was one of our strongest circuits last year and it feels very quick out there. We made good improvements between practice and Sprint Qualifying and the team did a great job with the car, which gave me a lot of confidence. The job tomorrow is the maximise points for the Constructors’ Championship, but we know it’s going to be a battle: Mercedes will be quick, and Ferrari will be fast. It’s not going to be an easy one for us, but it’s going to be an exciting Sprint for everyone watching. I’m looking forward to it.” 

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FP1 1m22.425s (+0.472s) 26 laps  3rd
SQ1 1m22.218 (Medium)   7th
SQ2 1m21.548s (Medium)   3rd
SQ3 1m21.171s (Soft)   3rd

“I am pretty happy with that. It felt like it was coming together well, and P3 is a good place to start tomorrow. There are a few opportunities we can exploit as it wasn’t the best lap I’ve ever done, but with the tricky conditions, most people on the grid probably feel the same. This track is pretty mega to drive around, so I’m feeling confident for tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do.” 

Andrea Stella

“It’s good to be back on the front row of the grid after a difficult event in Vegas. The car is performing well with Lando and Oscar putting together strong laps throughout the Sprint Qualifying session. This has confirmed that our performance is competitive. At the same time, we have to recognise that Mercedes are within the same tenth of a second and Ferrari are starting just behind us, so we have another very compact field again. We need to remain focused and work hard to maximise the potential of the car in the Sprint event, if we want to score as many points as possible. As a first day here in Lusail, it’s been positive, and we aim to carry this momentum into the remainder of the weekend.”