Piastri Secures Qatar Sprint Pole, Intensifying F1 Title Fight
Oscar Piastri of McLaren seized pole position for the Qatar Grand prix sprint race today, injecting fresh momentum into his bid for the 2024 formula 1 World Championship. The qualifying result sets up a crucial showdown with championship leader Lando Norris and rival Max Verstappen as the season enters its penultimate race weekend.
The drivers’ championship remains incredibly tight with just two race weekends remaining. Norris currently leads with 390 points, closely followed by Piastri and Verstappen, both on 366. Despite being tied on points, Piastri holds second place in the standings due to having secured seven Grand prix wins compared to Verstappen’s six. McLaren already clinched the constructors’ championship in October, but the drivers’ title is still very much up for grabs.
Points System & Remaining Races
A maximum of 58 points are available across the remaining races: 8 for winning the sprint race, 25 for winning the Qatar Grand Prix, and another 25 for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Standard Grand Prix points are awarded as follows: 1st – 25pts, 2nd – 18, 3rd – 15, 4th – 12, 5th – 10, 6th – 8, 7th – 6, 8th – 4, 9th – 2, 10th – 1. Sprint race points are awarded: 1st - 8pt, 2nd – 7, 3rd - 6, 4th – 5, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 2, 8th – 1.
What Norris Needs to Clinch the Title
To secure the championship, Lando Norris needs to score two more points than both Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen across the remaining races. In the event of a tie in overall points, the driver with the most race wins will be crowned champion. Currently, Norris and Piastri are level with seven wins each, while Verstappen has six. Should a tie persist, the tiebreaker moves to the number of second-place finishes, where Norris leads Piastri 8-3.
The remaining race schedule includes the Qatar Grand Prix (November 29-30) featuring both a sprint race and a Grand Prix, followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (December 6-7). Should Norris succeed,he will become the 11th British Formula 1 World Champion,joining a prestigious list including Mike Hawthorn,graham hill,Jim Clark,John Surtees,Jackie stewart,James Hunt,Nigel Mansell,Damon Hill,Lewis Hamilton,and Jenson Button.
