Lando Norris handed victory in the sprint race at Losail to his team mate Piastri.
The McLaren drivers claimed maximum points in the weekend’s opening race, increasing their lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.Norris led the entirety of the race from pole position until the final lap, where he slowed to let Piastri by, despite George Russell following them closely. His McLaren race engineer Will Joseph told him to “finish in this order” order, Piastri having come under attack from Russell on several occasions throughout the race.
It is the second time this year the McLaren driver have exchanged victory in a sprint race. Piastri did the same for Norris four weeks ago in Brazil, before his team mate’s hopes of winning the drivers’ championship ended.
As the race began, Norris successfully held onto his lead into turn one while Piastri challenged Russell for second place. Piastri took the outside line at turn one which became the inside for turn two, allowing him to move into second behind his team mate.
Russell tried to reclaim second into turn one but was held off by Piastri. Norris deliberately tried to keep his team mate within DRS range to help Piastri defend from the Mercedes, but Russell got close enough to try and pass Piastri into the first corner but moved to the inside before the braking zone to defend. Russell claimed it had been a late move from the McLaren driver, but race control saw no problem.
Norris clearly had more pace but was encouraged to try and keep Piastri in DRS range. Norris appeared to be set to clinch the win, but blended out of the throttle exiting the final corner on the final lap and allowed Piastri through to take the win.
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Norris managed to cross the line just ahead of Russell to confirm the McLaren one-two. Carlos Sainz Jnr finished fourth ahead of Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc, who passed Lewis Hamilton and fended off a late attack from the Mercedes driver to take fifth.
Nico Hulkenberg added two more points to Haas’ championship total in seventh, with Max Verstappen taking the final point with eighth place after starting sixth.
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Jere (@jerejj)
30th November 2024, 14:56
Even though the intention for letting Piastri win was ultimately clear, the move away from the racing line & deceleration after the final corner came as a total surprise.
Checo can’t even react to the green light anymore or beat Zhou despite rejoining right behind him, although for his defense, Max couldn’t catch Hulkenberg.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th November 2024, 16:35
Yes, his red bull seems weak, they have nothing to lose after all and could go for extra race wins with verstappen if possible, so this performance in the last 2 races only reinforces the idea that mclaren had the overall best car in 2024.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th November 2024, 16:35
this red bull*
Doh
30th November 2024, 20:03
And he just ran wide across the gravel while not even on a push lap in qualifying. I’m thinking maybe is something wrong?
Edvaldo
30th November 2024, 15:03
Gotta say if Norris ever wanted to send them a message that he’s their guy, this was it.
He can say now they’re even after Piastri helped him in Brazil, but this was completely demoralizing for Piastri, who probably wouldn’t even finish in the top 3 on his own.
Well, i don’t care, Piastri has 2 long seasons under his belt already, so he should be faster than this.
Tristan
30th November 2024, 15:21
Faster than what? Norris? How many seasons has he had, and how close is he?
It’s not even close to a Perez situation.
Like this is the elite of the elite, you need to maximise 100% and expecting someone to do that perfectly is ridiculous. Drivers will always have their strengths and weaknesses. Earlier in the year people were praising Piastri’s wheel to wheel fighting spirit and saying Norris doesn’t have what it takes.
No driver is going to be perfectly rounded in every single aspect at every track, in every condition and car. Not Max, not Hamilton, not Alonso, not Norris, not Leclerc, not Sainz and certainly not in his second year Piastri.
Edvaldo
30th November 2024, 15:26
Faster enough not to need Norris giving him a tow to outrace a slower car.
Faster than what he has shown all season.
Remember: Norris won 2 races by 20+ seconds and Piastri wasn’t even there to be 2nd place.
Norris wasted a ton of winning opportunities this season, but Piastri, not really, because he doesn’t have the pace even for that.
Tristan
30th November 2024, 15:32
Ofcourse, but there’s factors that aren’t being considered. Norris has driven every evolution of Zak Brown’s McLaren. To then come in and say 2 years blabla should be bla bla… Whatever.
David (@nvherman)
30th November 2024, 15:35
Tristan, you can defend Piastri all you want, but everyone else can see that Norris is better than he is, and he’s proven that he’s a team player as well
Tristan
30th November 2024, 15:40
Oh everyone can they? You got that special telepathy buff to know what everyone can see?
Even if you are right the same has to be said for Rosberg at Mercedes. It doesn’t mean on his day he won’t be right there with him.
McLaren have shown they have 2 solid team playing drivers that have the pace to mix it with the rest of the best, each with their own strengths. There’s absolutely no reason to put down Piastri given what he’s shown over the season, even if yes, he may (understandably imo) not quite be at Norris’ level on raw pace.
Edvaldo
30th November 2024, 15:44
Well, i doubt he’s improving all that much from what he is now, at least on this team, with this teammate.
First season yes, Norris was much more experienced, but now he already raced thousands of km in that car, what’s the excuse? 2 (very) long seasons aren’t enough, he needs even more time to develop?
Tristan
30th November 2024, 15:48
Edvaldo, people thankfully never stop learning, and sure there are ultimate limits of the body (as Coulthard was hypothesizing about recently) but to say Piastri has reached his limit in just 2 years is a stretch.
Edvaldo
30th November 2024, 15:57
Tristan
He’s not reached his limit, but look around. 2 seasons are usually enough to define what kind of driver they’ll be. The situations change and they adapt to it, but speed-wise, they dominate the proceedings pretty early on.
I honestly expected him to be closer to Norris by this point, he did show flashes of that but he’s far from being consistent enough to be a challenge.
BMW P85 V10
30th November 2024, 16:10
@David
Norris is just paving his way for next season. Showing Piastri he’s not selfish and expecting Piastri to act the same next here when Norris might be in a title fight again.
David (@nvherman)
30th November 2024, 15:21
Everything Norris did today proved that a) he’s a proper team player, and b) that he’s much better than Piastri
David
30th November 2024, 16:31
I agree with both your points. To add to that list is performing under pressure. He has not proven this ability. His skill is compromised when things get tought. Hopefully he mentally prepares for that next year.
Grapmg
30th November 2024, 15:26
The shoe was in the other foot in Brasil. Piastri showed there he had the pace to beat Norris. I guess on pace Norris still got the edge over Piastri but on racecraft I have to give it to Oscar as he showed again today.
David (@nvherman)
30th November 2024, 15:33
I’m sorry: how was Piastri’s racecraft better than Norris’s today?
Grapmg
30th November 2024, 15:55
Not specifically today. But I was referring to Oscar’s (aggressive) defense against Russel. Seen it before this year, I think he shows that a bit more than Norris. Other example is first lap Italy against Norris.
Riker (@corsair)
30th November 2024, 15:34
That has to be one of the worst opinions ever. Just so wrong.
David (@nvherman)
30th November 2024, 15:35
@corsair which opinion is wrong?
Ajaxn
30th November 2024, 16:22
It takes great teamwork like this to win championships.
Just look at the Red Bulls and their philosophy of a one-man team.
When Hamilton was winning all those championships Bottas still got his share of wins to keep him motivated.
Norris knows he will need the cooperation of his team to win any championship.
Robbie1
30th November 2024, 16:57
“ It takes great teamwork like this to win championships.”
A superior car is all you need, and proper drivers to win both titles.
“ Just look at the Red Bulls and their philosophy of a one-man team.”
6 WCC and 8 WDC in the last fifteen years plus a whole bunch of team records broken.
“ When Hamilton was winning all those championships Bottas still got his share of wins to keep him motivated.”
Yes, Lewis did throw away a lot of wins against Perez level drivers like Bottas and Rosberg.
“ Norris knows he will need the cooperation of his team to win any championship.”
First of all he needs to drive better if he gets in a situation where the McLaren is on par with or only slightly faster than the rest.
Austin, Mexico and Brazil were races he should have won.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
30th November 2024, 16:46
I didn’t like this decision to give up the win tbh, I think they should’ve let piastri win that brazil sprint, as he deserved it, and same for norris here.
Norris already did a great job giving drs when needed to piastri here, now we have a winner who didn’t deserve it in both races and ofc not happy and a more deserving driver in 2nd place.
It was unexpected for me that he’d give up the win and also impressed he managed to hold off russell by doing that, as he was so close.
Robbie1
30th November 2024, 16:55
“ It takes great teamwork like this to win championships.”
A superior car is all you need, and proper drivers to win both titles.
“ Just look at the Red Bulls and their philosophy of a one-man team.”
6 WCC and 8 WDC in the last fifteen years plus a whole bunch of team records broken.
“ When Hamilton was winning all those championships Bottas still got his share of wins to keep him motivated.”
Yes, Lewis did throw away a lot of wins against Perez level drivers like Bottas and Rosberg.
“ Norris knows he will need the cooperation of his team to win any championship.”
First of all he needs to drive better if he gets in a situation where the McLaren is on par with or only slightly faster than the rest.
Austin, Mexico and Brazil were races he should have won.
Bhopp
30th November 2024, 17:31
You’re really comparing Bottas and Rosberg (a world champion) to Perez? Deluded!
Gerry
1st December 2024, 0:22
I for one am glad he did it – I had £250 on Piastri to win!