Lando Norris defied expectations during the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint race by ignoring team orders to allow Oscar Piastri to take victory. The McLaren team enjoyed their one-two finish as a major achievement in their pursuit of the 2024 Formula 1 world championship title, a feat not achieved since 1998.

Norris led the race from the start and managed to keep his teammate within DRS range to aid his battle with Mercedes driver George Russell. Despite being able to take victory for himself, Norris revealed after the race that he had been planning to give Piastri the win since Sao Paulo when the latter had done the same for him. He explained in his interview after the race:

“We did one-two and that’s what we were aiming for today. We have maximum points, so we’re happy.

“We’re happy as a team, we executed things perfectly. The pace was good, I probably could have pushed a bit more than I did, but we wanted to keep the others behind so we tried to help and don’t let George get too close We did our job and that’s the main thing.”

Addressing the risks of letting Piastri pass at the last minute, Norris added:

“It was probably a bit closer than I wanted, but I’ve been planning to do it since Brazil.

“It’s just what I thought was best. It’s probably a little sketchy. The team told me not to do it but I thought I could get away with it, and we did.

“Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m not here to win sprint races, I’m here to win (Grand Prix) races – and a championship, but it hasn’t gone according to plan. But I did the best we could and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

With the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship hotly contested, McLaren’s performance in Qatar has significant implications for the championship standings. A one-two finish here not only boosts McLaren’s points tally but also signals a determined pursuit of the constructors’ title.

1. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
2. Lando Norris, McLaren
3. George Russell, Mercedes
4. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
7. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
8. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
9. Pierre Gasly, alpine
10. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
11. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
12. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber
13. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
14. Esteban Ocon, alpine
15. Alex Albon, Williams
16. Liam Lawson, VCARB
17. Yuki Tsunoda, VCARB
18. Franco Colapinto, Williams
19. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber
20. Sergio Perez, Red Bull