McLaren’s Lando Norris took pole place for the dash race on the Qatar Grand Prix forward of Mercedes driver George Russell.
Norris pipped Russell by simply 0.063 seconds, with the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri in third place.
Ferrari, who’re competing with McLaren for the constructors’ championship, had been fourth and fifth, Carlos Sainz 0.027secs quicker than Charles Leclerc.
Newly topped world champion Max Verstappen was solely sixth, forward of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
Norris stated: “It’s robust as a result of it’s so fast round right here, it feels just like the quickest circuit of the 12 months, the ultimate sector feels such as you’re simply hanging on.
“Nice qualifying, particularly to bounce again after the place we had been in Vegas final weekend.”
Norris’ hopes of beating Verstappen to the drivers’ title had been lastly extinguished in Las Vegas on a disappointing weekend for McLaren.
However they head into the ultimate two races of the season 25 factors forward of of Ferrari within the constructors’ championship.
McLaren can win the title the weekend – however provided that they rating the utmost factors attainable. That might require a one-two in Saturday’s dash, which begins at 14:00 UK time, to begin the weekend.
“Our goal is a one-two,” Norris stated, “and maximise factors for the constructors’ however not anticipating a simple one.”
Russell’s sturdy kind from Las Vegas, the place he took his second win of the season with a dominant efficiency, continued on to a really totally different observe in a really totally different desert.
And Ferrari’s concern that McLaren may be too sturdy for them in Qatar gave the impression to be coming true – Sainz was 0.269secs off the tempo set by Norris.
Verstappen, whose solely victory since June got here within the moist in Brazil earlier this month, was 0.303secs off the tempo.
And Hamilton’s qualifying struggles continued – he was 0.399secs slower than Russell.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg and RB’s Liam Lawson accomplished the highest 10.
The second Purple Bull driver Sergio Perez was knocked out within the first session and can begin sixteenth. The Mexican, who has been knocked out in Q1 six occasions this 12 months, blamed a struggle over observe place with Leclerc for his failure.
