'Nice to be back' – Piastri reflects on Qatar Sprint pole as he looks for title fightback

Oscar Piastri admitted it was "nice to be back" before adding "I’m just happy with the result" having taken pole for the Qatar Sprint, slightly shifting momentum away from McLaren team mate Lando Norris in their title fight.

The Australian enters this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix and Sprint 24 points behind Norris in the Drivers' Championship having struggled for performance in the latter part of the season.

Piastri previously held a 34-point lead over Norris but has failed to reach the podium in the last six Grands Prix, derailing his chances of a maiden title, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen has also caught up to be level on points with the 24-year-old.

With Norris starting P3 for Saturday's 19-lap Sprint in Qatar, Piastri has the chance to close the gap with eight points on offer for victory, as the McLaren man remarked over team radio that it was "nice to be back" after his Sprint pole was confirmed.

"It’s been a good day, which is nice for a change," said Piastri after hopping out of the car.

"It’s been a day where things have clicked from the start and I think the Sprint Qualifying session went really well.

"I had a pretty big moment on my lap but it was just enough in the end so thanks to the team – it’s a great car and it’s looked really good this weekend so far. I’m pretty happy with that.

"I think if you hook it up, there’s a 1m 19s in there. We’ll see what we can do, but at the moment I’m just happy with the result.

"There are obviously a few things to try and tidy up but it’s nice to be able to say that when you’re starting on pole.

"I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Obviously it’s only a Sprint pole and for a few points but I’ll take whatever I can get."

The Lusail International Circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Piastri in the past, which included his first win in F1 courtesy of the Sprint in 2023, before Norris moved over to allow him to win 12 months ago, also in the Sprint.

With only one hour of Free Practice before Sprint Qualifying and tyres limited to 25-laps in the main Grands Prix, Piastri was unsure whether McLaren were on top of the opposition.

"It’s difficult to know," said Piastri when asked about his expectations.

"On a Sprint weekend it’s always really tough to know if you’re fully on top of things from when you roll onto the track, but I think the car’s felt really good all day.

"We made some good adjustments into Sprint Qualifying which was nice, and I think the pace was there all day. Hopefully we can keep that running."