Norris Awakens McLaren in Title Pursuit

Although somewhat anticlimactic, and not just because it takes place at night, the Qatar GP still has much to decide in the battles remaining until the 2024 season concludes definitively. Lando Norris is keen to keep the flame alive, as his team is in the midst of a fierce fight to win the constructors' title, a championship that distributes the monetary prize (and with it, the 2025 budget) among the teams.

Thus, it is vital for him to win everything remaining and try to fend off Ferrari's challenge, whom both he and Oscar Piastri have currently outperformed in this Friday's sprint qualifying. Qatar hosts the last GP with this format in 2024, allowing everyone to score on both Saturday and Sunday if they are capable. In this regard, Carlos Sainz will have a much better chance than Fernando Alonso, as the Spaniard will start in fourth position after narrowly surpassing his teammate Charles Leclerc, still irked with the Spaniard since last Sunday.

The Asturian and his 'Tractor' Martin were close to returning to the 'top 10' of a grid, even if it was a short race, but fell just short. The conditions of this circuit slightly mask the shortcomings of the AMR24, a car already abandoned and destined for the museum.

With less time than a normal Q1, as in previous editions of this Grand Prix, the notable improvement of the track as the night session progressed led to relative surprises, such as seeing Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, and Lance Stroll in eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively, because they knew how to wait for their moment.

What is no longer surprising is seeing Lando Norris with the best time, with the recent four-time champion in fourth. Nor is another disappointing performance from Sergio Pérez. The Mexican was eliminated early on (alongside Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Guanyu Zhou, and Franco Colapinto), showing that he is neither present nor expected. Not even racing without pressure, as he has already ruined Red Bull's chances in the constructors' championship, spares him from embarrassing fans and even detractors, who feel second-hand embarrassment seeing him every weekend. If in other circuits he fell due to pure lack of competitiveness, in this one it was for not going out when he should have.

Among the relative surprises, the good performance of the Mercedes in a circuit as different as Losail.

Only 40 thousandths prevented Fernando Alonso from exceeding the initial expectations of this weekend. The Asturian did not advance to SQ3 by that breath, when he was surpassed by Pierre Gasly in the final moments of SQ2, sending him to the painful eleventh place. He would not have achieved a much higher position in the next round, but he would have liked to relish the opportunity in case it is his last chance this year.

The fastest was, once again, Lando Norris. The Briton was brilliant all Friday, and although he no longer has anything personal at stake, he is in a position to bolster McLaren's constructors' championship, a consolation that might seem scant but is far from it in his team's eyes.

Without pressure because he practically has the runner-up secured, Lando Norris claimed the 'minipole' of this last sprint Grand Prix of 2024 and aims for victory this Saturday, as it is now too late. He will have to battle with George Russell, who was very strong this Friday and was just over half a tenth off his time, preventing a full McLaren front row, as Piastri settled for third.

Carlos Sainz, this time without controversies or pressures, outperformed a powerless Charles Leclerc who did not miss his appointment with complaints over the radio, this time against a rival and not his teammate. Verstappen, already cruising until next week, will start in a comfortable sixth place that will allow him to score points if he still wants to, or he can let go. Unlike others, he already has the job done.