Oscar Piastri will start from pole for the second time at the Qatar Grand Prix after converting his first attempt into victory in the sprint.
This time, the Australian will have Lando Norris alongside him for company, as the latter looks to seal the F1 drivers' championship ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Piastri will have other ideas, however, and needs to prevent his McLaren team-mate from outscoring him by four points or more over the 57-lap race.
Max Verstappen, who starts third, is also still in contention. At 25 points adrift of the Briton, the Red Bull driver must get past his MCL39.
Further back, Lewis Hamilton endured another dreadful grid-setting session. He was only quick enough to go P18.
However, the seven-time F1 drivers' champion has a slight reprieve, with Gabriel Bortoleto's five-place grid penalty dropping the Stake driver behind him, from P14 to P19.
Franco Colapinto, who was due to start the race from 20th and last, will now take the start from the pit lane after changes were made to his car overnight.
NOTE: Grid remains provisional until officially confirmed by the FIA.
Adjusted 2025 F1 Qatar Grand Prix starting grid after penalty
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 2nd | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 3rd | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 4th | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 5th | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 6th | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls |
| 7th | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 8th | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| 9th | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 10th | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 11th | Nico Hulkenberg | Stake |
| 12th | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 13th | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 14th | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 15th | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull |
| 16th | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 17th | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 18th | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 19th | Gabriel Bortoleto - PENALTY | Stake |
| PIT LANE | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
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