Lando Norris explains final-lap error that handed Qatar pole to Oscar Piastri

Lando Norris blamed understeer for the mistake that forced him to abort his final lap in Qatar Grand Prix qualifying, costing him a shot at pole position.

Norris will start Sunday’s race from second on the grid, having failed to improve on his final lap in Q3.

The British driver led the way after the first runs, less than a tenth ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

However, a small mistake from Norris at Turn 2 forced him to back off.

Explaining his final effort in Q3, Norris said: “I don’t know. I just got a bit of understeer and was going to go off so I had to abort which was a shame. It is the way it is.

“Oscar did a good lap and drove very well, and has been driving well all weekend. Nothing to complain about. I didn’t do the lap and still P2 for tomorrow.”

Unfortunately for Norris, he will start on the dirty side of the grid, meaning he will likely have to defend from Max Verstappen down into Turn 1 on the opening lap.

Norris could win the title in Qatar if he takes victory on Sunday.

Looking ahead to the race, Norris added: “You never know. The first couple of laps there’s opportunities for everyone but after that it’s going to be pretty straightforward for everyone too.

“Tonight we will review some things and see what I can do better than this morning. Otherwise, we’re in a good position. The car has been feeling good. I was much happier today than yesterday. Progress but it’s a long race tomorrow.”

Piastri back on form in Qatar

After a tough run of races, Piastri has been back to his best in Qatar.

The Australian converted pole into victory for the sprint segment of the weekend, reducing Norris’ lead to 22 points.

Reflecting on his first pole since Zandvoort in August, Piastri said: “No. We left it pretty much the same. Very, very minor tweaks here and there. Everything felt great all weekend. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. 

“The team did a great job. There was a bit of a question mark on which tyres we wanted to use today because I did a quick lap on the used set in Q2.

“That threw a bit of a spanner in the works as we didn’t expect it to be so good. Q3 was really good on the new [tyre] so pretty happy.”

One unusual factor in the race will be that all drivers will be limited to a maximum of 25 laps on one tyre set.

This is due to concerns from Pirelli about tyre safety, given the loads and kerb usage in Qatar.

As a result, Piastri is expecting a physically demanding race on Sunday.

“Pretty tough. I think with the two stops as well, the lap limits, we’re probably going to be pushing pretty hard the whole time,” Piastri explained.

“I don’t think it’s going to be as hot as a couple of years ago so hopefully it’s not as bad as that so I am expecting it to be a tough race. You’re pulling an insane amount of G-force around here, multiple times a lap. It’s hard work but incredible fun.”