Oscar Piastri won the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint after being allowed through on the final straight by team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren sealed a one-two.
Norris led from the start and appeared set to seal his second Sprint win of the season before slowing down on the approach to the chequered flag to let Piastri past, repaying the Australian for a similar – but less dramatic – gesture in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint earlier in November.
The move was risky given Mercedes’ George Russell was following closely behind, but Norris pulled off the manoeuvre to ensure McLaren took maximum points and extended their Constructors’ Championship lead over Ferrari to 30 points heading into tomorrow’s full-length contest.
Watch the opening lap from the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc limited the damage by taking fourth and fifth for the Italian team, the latter passing Lewis Hamilton on lap 13 having lost out to the Mercedes at the start.
Hamilton had to settle for sixth after a brilliant start that also saw him overtake newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen, who dropped to ninth on the opening lap before pulling a position back to take the final point in eighth.
Nico Hulkenberg drove an impressive race to come from ninth on the grid to finish seventh, extending Haas’ advantage over Alpine and RB in the tight battle for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Sky Sports F1’s live Qatar GP schedule
Saturday November 30
4pm: F2 Sprint Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Feature Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted’s Notebook
Formula 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW