Though it started with misery — he went too deep into one corner in the wet conditions during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and slid onto the grass at the next turn, blowing his shot at a home podium — Piastri rebounded, entering a dominant era of his own.

Piastri broke his own lap record in Qatar with a blistering final session in qualifying, clocking a staggering 1:19.387s to lay down the gauntlet to his competitors. McLaren teammate and championship leader Lando Norris will start the main race from second, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen qualifying third fastest in his Red Bull.

The stage is set for the penultimate race of the 2025 season, with Oscar Piastri following up a Sprint pole and win in Qatar with the pole for the grand prix on Sunday.

The Lusail Circuit in Qatar has been one of Piastri's strongest tracks, and after a disappointing string of performances for Oscar prooves to be a massive boost in confidence for the McLaren Driver.