FACTS AND STATS: Norris has never won a race from second on the grid – Qatar GP victory would seal the title

Oscar Piastri made it two from two in Qatar, as he added pole for the Grand Prix to his P1 from Sprint Qualifying. Having also won the Sprint, the Australian is heading towards a perfect weekend – but he has team mate and Championship rival Lando Norris alongside him, as those two duel for the ultimate prize. Here are the best facts and stats from a fast and frantic Qualifying at the Lusail International Circuit…

• Piastri is on pole for what is McLaren’s 70th front-row lockout as the Australian grabbed his sixth Grand Prix pole of the season.
• This is his first top-three start in the last five Grands Prix.
• There have been four different pole sitters in the four Qatar Grands Prix here.

• Norris has his fifth consecutive front-row start, but he has never won a race from second on the grid in 12 previous attempts.
• Max Verstappen grabbed third, and he will be eliminated from the Championship if the top three finish in their starting positions.
• George Russell was fourth, as he starts P4 for the fourth time in the last five Grands Prix. He also finished fourth here in 2023 and 2024.
• Kimi Antonelli was fifth, maintaining his team’s record of never starting outside the top five in Qatar.
• Isack Hadjar was P6, meaning Racing Bulls have a car in the top six for the third consecutive Grand Prix.

• Carlos Sainz qualified one place higher for the race than the Sprint for Williams.
• Fernando Alonso bagged his second consecutive top-eight start in the Grand Prix format.
• Pierre Gasly made his third consecutive Q3 appearance and 10th overall this season.
• Charles Leclerc was 10th tonight, Lewis Hamilton 18th for Ferrari’s worst-ever two car qualifying performance at this circuit.
• Nico Hulkenberg starts 11th for the fourth time in the last six Grands Prix.
• Liam Lawson grabbed P12, having started in that position more than any other in his career – this being the seventh time.
• Ollie Bearman was 13th, and he has out-qualified Esteban Ocon 14-9 this season.

• Gabriel Bortoleto grabbed his best Qualifying since Singapore with P14, but his grid drop means he starts 19th for the race.
• Alex Albon continued his run of never making Q3 here as he exited in P15.
• Yuki Tsunoda exited Qualifying in Q1 for the third consecutive Grand Prix. His Q1 lap time was 0.242s slower than his SQ3 time from yesterday.
• Esteban Ocon was 17th, for his fifth Q1 elimination in the last seven races.
• Hamilton’s P18 means he has been eliminated in Q1 for consecutive Grands Prix.
• Lance Stroll was P19, for his 15th Q1 elimination of the season, the most of any driver.
• Franco Colapinto was the slower qualifier in both the Sprint and for the race this weekend.