Lando Norris claimed a powerful pole place for the Qatar GP Dash as McLaren struck the primary blow of their constructors’ title battle with Ferrari by taking first and third on Saturday’s grid.

5 days after he noticed his bid for the Drivers’ Championship in opposition to Max Verstappen formally resulted in Las Vegas, Norris topped all three segments of Dash Qualifying across the high-speed Lusail Worldwide Circuit to assert a commanding pole.

However Mercedes’ George Russell – the race winner in Las Vegas – denied title-chasing McLaren a front-row lockout by pipping Oscar Piastri to the opposite front-row berth.

Norris’ pacesetting time of 1:21.012 was 0.063s forward of Russell, with Piastri an additional 0.096s adrift.

Ferrari, who path McLaren by 24 factors with two race weekends to go, had seemed fast within the earlier sole follow session however didn’t mount a problem in SQ3, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc qualifying solely fourth and fifth respectively.

New four-time champion Verstappen was by no means within the combine in his Crimson Bull and will solely handle sixth, though that was nonetheless 10 locations larger than struggling team-mate Sergio Perez.

With no finish to his on-track travails seemingly in sight as hypothesis continues to swirl about his future past the top of the season subsequent week, Perez was knocked out in SQ1 in sixteenth place – the seventh time in a qualifying session this 12 months that the Mexican has didn’t clear the primary hurdle.

Lewis Hamilton was once more outqualified comfortably by Mercedes team-mate Russell and can begin seventh, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly eighth because the Frenchman’s high-quality late-season run continues.

RB’s Liam Lawson, who’s eyeing up Perez’s seat in the principle Crimson Bull staff for subsequent season, made the highest 10 though misplaced ninth to Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg after his last lap time was deleted for a observe limits infringement.

Extra to observe…

Sky Sports activities F1’s reside Qatar GP schedule

Saturday November 30
12.10pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
1pm: Qatar GP Dash build-up
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
3.30pm: Ted’s Dash Pocket book
4pm: F2 Dash Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book

Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Function Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP response
7pm: Ted’s Pocket book

Formulation 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream the ultimate two F1 races and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime