McLaren team orders ignored again as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri execute ‘sketchy’ swap in Qatar sprint

Lando Norris defied team orders to gift Australian Oscar Piastri a sprint victory at the Qatar Grand Prix as McLaren took another step towards a first F1 constructors’ title in 26 years, while champion Max Verstappen later secured pole position for the grand prize.

McLaren’s lead over Ferrari, who finished fourth in Carlos Sainz and fifth in Charles Leclerc, reached 30 points with 88 to be won from Sunday’s main race and the final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

The risky exchange at the checkered flag, despite the team telling Norris to hold position with Russell close behind him, was payback for the 23-year-old Piastre, who gifted Norris a sprint win in Brazil.

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At the time, the Briton was still in contention for the title, but Verstappen ended that battle in Las Vegas last Saturday.

Just 1.3 seconds separated the top four in the finish, with Piastri crossing the line just 0.136 ahead of his team-mate to take his second straight Qatar sprint win.

“It was probably a little closer than I wanted, but I had planned to do it since Brazil,” Norris said of the trade.

“That’s what I thought was best. It’s probably a bit sketchy. The team told me not to but I thought I could get away with it and we did.

“Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m not here to win sprints, I’m here to win (grand prix) races and the championship, but that’s not the plan.”

The Briton led from pole position, while Piastre overtook Russell for second at turn two on the first lap, a decisive move which then put him in position to claim victory.

Norris kept Piastri in his slipstream, relaxing to ensure the Melburnian stayed within DRS range to allow him to defend against Russell on the right.

Piastri said it was something the drivers discussed before the race.

“I think it was a really good display of teamwork today,” he said.

“It was all about defense the whole race.

“I had a good start and a good first turn, but I didn’t have enough speed. I think I killed the front (tire) a little early.

“I was a little bit difficult for the rest of the sprint, but there was great teamwork. Without that help, it would have been a much more difficult sprint.”

Hamilton went from 10th on the grid to fifth, while Verstappen dropped to ninth, but the seven-time Mercedes world champion was unable to keep Leclerc behind with six laps to go after the earlier overtake.

Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez started from the pit lane and then the Mexican suffered the humiliation of being passed on the exit by Williams’ Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto.

Later, four-time world champion Verstappen put Red Bull in first position for the first time in five months in the qualifying session, while McLaren gained the advantage over Ferrari.

McLaren will win the championship under the Lusail floodlights on Sunday if they go 15 points clear of Ferrari – the equivalent of another one-two race.

George Russell finished second for Mercedes, with Norris and Piastre third and fourth respectively.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start fifth, with team-mate Carlos Sainz seventh.

Earlier, George Russell was third for Mercedes in the 19-lap sprint race, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton sixth.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Haas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the final point a week after securing his fourth consecutive drivers’ title.