WEC

Piastri Secures Pole Position at 2024 Qatar Grand Prix in McLaren 1-2

Lusail, qatar – Oscar Piastri of McLaren claimed⁢ pole ​position for the 2024 FIA ‍Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, narrowly‍ edging out teammate ⁤Lando Norris in⁤ a thrilling qualifying ⁤session. Red Bull’s Max⁢ Verstappen will start third, completing the top three.

Piastri set a blistering lap time of 1:19.387, with Norris just 0.108 seconds behind. The result marks a significant achievement for McLaren,securing a⁤ front-row lockout and demonstrating‍ the team’s growing⁢ competitiveness. verstappen,‍ the championship leader, qualified third with a time of 1:19.651, followed closely by the Mercedes pairing of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. This qualifying result is especially noteworthy as ⁢it’s the first race ⁣weekend‍ with Antonelli in the‍ Mercedes lineup.

The session was briefly interrupted by red flags in Q3 after Carlos Sainz Jr.⁣ left the garage ​with plastic ​wrapped around his rear left tire,which subsequently came loose and ended up on the track.⁢ Sainz will ⁣be investigated ⁤for an​ unsafe release. Fernando Alonso qualified eighth for Aston Martin, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly⁤ and Ferrari’s ⁤Charles Leclerc.

Q2 saw Norris initially have his fastest time deleted due to a track limits infringement, but he ultimately recovered ‌to secure ‌second place. Drivers eliminated at the⁤ end of ‌Q2 included Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber), Liam Lawson⁣ (Racing Bulls), Ollie Bearman (Haas), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), and Alex Albon (Williams).

In Q1, Yuki ​tsunoda initially appeared to have made it‍ through to Q2, but was⁢ ultimately edged ⁣out by Gabriel Bortoleto, though Tsunoda will start 15th⁢ due to Bortoleto receiving a⁢ five-place‍ grid penalty for a collision at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Esteban Ocon‌ (Haas), Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), Lance⁢ Stroll (Aston Martin), and Franco Colapinto (Alpine)​ were also eliminated⁤ in ​the opening segment.

2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Qualifying

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:19.387
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:19.495
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:19.651
4 George russell Mercedes 1:19.662
5 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:19.846
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT⁣ 1:20.114
7 Carlos Sainz⁤ Williams/Mercedes 1:20.287
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:20.418
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:20.477
10 Charles Leclerc⁢ Ferrari 1:20.561
11 Nico Hülkenberg‍ Sauber/Ferrari 1:20.353
12 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 1:20.433
13 Oliver​ Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:20.438
14 Gabriel⁢ Bortoleto ⁢Sauber/Ferrari 1:20.534
15 Alexander Albon⁤ Williams/Mercedes 1:20.629
16 Yuki Tsunoda Red bull/Honda RBPT 1:20.761
17 ⁣Esteban Ocon haas/Ferrari 1:20.864
18 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:20.907
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:21.058
20 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 1:21.137

GT​ Racing’s Top Drivers to ‍Clash at 2025 FIA GT World Cup in Macau

Macau, [Date of Release – implied from context] – The world’s most prestigious sprint race for GT3 machinery, the FIA GT World Cup, is set to return to the challenging streets of Macau in 2025, ⁢attracting a stellar field of manufacturers, factory drivers, ​adn privateer teams. A total ‌of 16 drivers from 12 nations will ​compete on the 6.12-kilometre Guia Circuit, with eight ‌Platinum-ranked drivers⁢ highlighting ​the remarkable⁣ level of talent.

Former winner ‍Markus ​Engstler, who last claimed victory in 2017, will be back ‌for a second attempt, aiming for a strong performance after a qualifying crash in 2024. He now ⁣races as an established GT3 driver following a season in the DTM.

Porsche is fielding ‌the largest single-manufacturer effort with five‍ 911 GT3 R (992) entries. Leading⁤ the charge is 2019 winner Laurens ⁣Vanthoor for‍ Tempo by Absolute Racing, alongside​ Alessio Picariello in a sister car. Schumacher CLRT ⁢will feature newly crowned​ DTM champion Ayhancan Güven and ‌Laurin Heinrich, representing ​Porsche’s emerging factory-backed GT talent. Dorian Boccolacci, driving for Phantom Global Racing, ⁢further strengthens Porsche’s line-up.

Audi Sport⁤ returns with two R8⁣ LMS GT3 Evo2s run by FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom, driven by factory veteran Christopher ⁢Haase and versatile​ Swede Joel Eriksson. ⁣Hong‌ Kong’s Adderly Fong‍ will compete under the ‍Uno Racing Team⁤ banner,‌ bringing valuable ‌experience of the Guia Circuit and local interest​ to ⁤the ‍audi contingent.

McLaren ⁤is making its long-awaited FIA GT World Cup comeback with Optimum Motorsport,after last competing⁤ in ⁢the inaugural event in 2015.Benjamin Goethe, a frontrunner in the GT World ​Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, will pilot ⁣the‍ team’s single 720S GT3 ‌Evo.

A revised⁢ qualifying format will be ​implemented this year. Alongside the established 30-minute⁣ qualifying session (Q1), the fastest 10 drivers​ will advance to a ‘Super Pole’ session (Q2). This segment will see⁤ each driver complete two individual qualifying laps with the benefit of a new set‍ of tyres.

The race program will remain consistent with last⁢ year,⁢ featuring a 12-lap Qualification Race‍ followed by a 16-lap Main Race to determine the FIA ​GT World Cup winner.

The 2025 FIA⁤ GT World Cup will share the Macau Grand Prix‍ billing with the FIA FR World​ Cup, the ⁤Kumho Tyre FIA‍ TCR World Tour season finale, and the newly introduced⁢ FIA Formula 4 World Cup, expanding the total number of FIA-sanctioned competitions ⁣at the ‍72nd Macau Grand Prix to four.

Fans can watch the ⁣event live and free of charge via the‌ FIA’s official YouTube channel:⁣ https://www.youtube.com/@FIAOfficialVideo.