Sky Sports F1 pundit sympathises with ‘annoyed’ driver after Qatar GP Sprint Shootout

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Karun Chandhok can ‘understand why’ Lando Norris was ‘a bit annoyed’ for missing out on pole position for the Qatar GP Sprint to his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.

The 23-year-old was on course to set the fastest time in the Shootout on Saturday but blew his chance at the final corner. Norris was up on Piastri’s time for most of his final flying lap in Q3. But a tiny mistake on the entry to Turn 16 sent the Briton drifting wide and off the track.

His error meant Norris could not improve on his provisional Q3 lap time that Piastri had just pipped. The 22-year-old went ahead of his much more experienced teammate by just 0.082 seconds. Red Bull’s champion-elect Max Verstappen would also not pip the McLaren drivers.

Norris did ‘another bad job’ in the Qatar GP Sprint Shootout

Norris admitted straight after the Shootout that he was ‘happy’ for McLaren and Piastri after the Australian sealed pole for the Qatar GP Sprint. But the Briton also conceded that he was ‘not happy’. Norris accepts that he did ‘another bad job’ after an error in Friday’s qualifying.

Verstappen secured pole for Sunday’s Qatar GP but Norris was in the mix only to finish Q3 in P10. The Bristol-born talent lost each of his lap times in the final stage of qualifying for twice exceeding track limits. Piastri will also start in only P6 on Sunday for his own track limit error.

Chandhok sympathises with the McLaren driver’s frustrations

Sky Sports F1 pundit and ex-HRT driver, Chandhok, sympathises with Norris for how the end of the Sprint Shootout concluded. Pole was there for Norris’ taking right until the last corner with his lap superior to Piastri’s. So, it was understandable for the Briton to feel downbeat.

“It was all good ‘til there,” Chandhok said on Sky Sports F1 (7/10, 15:24). “Norris was about a tenth ahead of Oscar Piastri. And then when we get to the last corner, just a bit too much speed. He’s wide of the apex and you can see just how much closer Oscar is to the kerb.

“Norris is just understeering wider and wider and wider and at some point he’s gone on the dust and he’s ended up off the track. So, you can understand why he was a bit annoyed because, actually, until that last corner he was a tenth ahead of Oscar.”

McLaren will have to pick Norris up quickly ahead of the Sprint on Saturday evening at the Qatar GP. A strong drive at the Lusail International Circuit in the Sprint can also encourage the 2018 Formula 2 runner-up to charge back up through the order in Sunday’s Grand Prix.