Doha, November 29 (QNA) - Australian driver Oscar Piastri of McLaren claimed the Sprint title at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, held Saturday at Lusail International Circuit, as part of the penultimate round of the Formula 1 World Championship.

Piastri dominated the 19-lap sprint covering 120.689 km, finishing in 26:51.033, ahead of George Russell of Mercedes by 4.951 seconds, while Piastri's teammate and championship leader Lando Norris completed the podium in third, 6.279 seconds behind.

Dutch four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing crossed the line fourth, 9.054 seconds adrift, and Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda of Oracle Red Bull Racing finished fifth, 19.327 seconds behind the winner.

The result intensified the title battle between the top three in the drivers' standings. Piastri cut Norris's lead to 22 points, while Verstappen trailed by 25 points. Norris earned six sprint points, lifting his total to 396, Piastri added eight points to move to 374, and Verstappen collected five points, reaching 371 in the standings.

Today's Sprint marks the final "Speed Race" of the season, as the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - the 24th and final round - will not feature a sprint.

Piastri had already secured pole position for the sprint after topping qualifying yesterday with a time of 1:20.055, narrowly beating Russell (1:20.087) and Norris (1:20.285).

He had also set the fastest lap in the sole free practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix, clocking 1:20.924, ahead of teammate Norris (1:20.982), Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin (1:21.310), Carlos Sainz of Alpine/Williams (1:21.404), and French driver Esteban Ocon of Racing Point (1:21.503), signaling McLaren's pace and dominance heading into the weekend.

Piastri's performance in the Sprint consolidates his resurgence and sets up a thrilling showdown for the season finale, keeping fans on edge as the championship enters its decisive phase. (QNA)