‘It would be stupid to not try and win’ – Norris sets target for Qatar Sprint after missing out on pole

Lando Norris admitted that his sights are set on victory in the Qatar Sprint, despite losing out on pole position to his McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri in another remarkably tight session.

Just like in FP1, where the Woking outfit found their pace late on after switching from medium to soft tyres, Piastri beat Norris to the top spot in Sprint Qualifying. But on this occasion, George Russell managed to split the pair and relegate Norris to P3, leaving him with the challenge of passing both drivers in the 19-lap Sprint.

One contributing factor leading to the Standings leader missing out on the top spot by over two tenths was an error he made in SQ3 – at the final corner, he veered off the track and rattled over the gravel trap, losing time in the process.

Asked whether he simply couldn’t find the necessary pace or grip, he replied: “No, the pace was there. I just made a mistake in the last corner on my first lap and didn’t put it together.”

He also confirmed that a brief tussle with the Williams of Alex Albon, who finished the session in P10, similarly compromised his last lap, concluding “that’s life”.

With the Drivers’ Championship on the line, Norris will be aiming to secure maximum points in the Sprint to put him in the best position to end the weekend with a 26-point advantage over Piastri and Max Verstappen, which will see him victorious in the standings.

He said: “It would be stupid to not try and win. I’m here to try and win so I’ll see what I can find overnight and see what we can do for tomorrow.

“It’s impossible to overtake, so I think I’m going to finish P3, but if I can at least get George off the line or something then that’s probably the most I can hope for.”