Sprint Qualifying for the 2024 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix took place at the Lusail International Circuit in the early hours of 30 November, Beijing time. McLaren’s Lando Norris took Sprint pole with a 1:21.012, with George Russell second, 0.063s behind, and Oscar Piastri third, leaving McLaren well placed for the Sprint.
The three-part knockout session was held in cool night-time conditions. Norris set his 1:21.012 on his first flying lap in SQ3, beating Russell’s 1:21.075. Piastri was third with a 1:21.171, giving McLaren first and third on the Sprint grid. Carlos Sainz (1:21.281) and Charles Leclerc (1:21.308) were fourth and fifth, while Max Verstappen managed only sixth with a 1:21.315 and Lewis Hamilton was seventh. Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg and Liam Lawson reached SQ3 and finished eighth to tenth.
RB’s Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in SQ1. His 1:22.722 was 0.017s slower than the cut-off, leaving him 17th, just 0.004s behind 16th-placed Sergio Pérez. Esteban Ocon, Zhou Guanyu and Franco Colapinto were 18th to 20th. Pérez and Colapinto would start Saturday evening’s Sprint from the pit lane after suspension set-up changes breached parc fermé restrictions, promoting Tsunoda to 16th on the grid.
The 19-lap Sprint will take place on the evening of 30 November, Beijing time, with points for the top eight finishers. McLaren held a 24-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship going into the event, making the maximum team haul of 15 Sprint points crucial to their title battle.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | SQ1 time | SQ2 time | SQ3 time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:21.356 | 1:21.231 | 1:21.012 | 16 |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:22.021 | 1:21.488 | 1:21.075 | 16 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:22.218 | 1:21.548 | 1:21.171 | 16 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:21.838 | 1:21.809 | 1:21.281 | 19 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:22.156 | 1:21.818 | 1:21.308 | 18 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:22.033 | 1:21.784 | 1:21.315 | 21 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:22.151 | 1:21.734 | 1:21.474 | 19 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:22.586 | 1:22.352 | 1:21.978 | 19 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:22.569 | 1:22.318 | 1:22.088 | 15 |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | RB | 1:22.705 | 1:22.393 | 1:22.577 | 20 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:22.499 | 1:22.433 | – | 12 |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:22.705 | 1:22.526 | – | 14 |
| 13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:22.506 | 1:22.538 | – | 13 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:22.522 | 1:22.599 | – | 14 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:22.560 | 1:22.738 | – | 14 |
| 16 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:22.718 | – | – | 7 |
| 17 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 1:22.722 | – | – | 7 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:22.906 | – | – | 7 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:22.948 | – | – | 8 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams | 1:23.423 | – | – | 8 |
