Oscar Piastri claimed his first Formula 1 win on Saturday, finishing P1 in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race.
Lewis Hamilton was quick to congratulate Oscar Piastri and McLaren on winning Saturday night’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position for the 19-lap race, Piastri kept his composure well after falling behind George Russell in the opening laps.
Piastri started with the Medium compound while Russell started with the Soft Compound, giving him an early advantage in grip and speed.
However, the Soft compound quickly became too worn, allowing Piastri to regain the sprint lead. He won the sprint by just over two seconds, ahead of new three-time world champion Max Verstappen.
It was a big moment for the rookie, who had little chance of winning Sunday’s main race after starting from sixth.
However, Hamilton – who finished P5 in the sprint – quickly asked on the team radio whether McLaren had won the race, which he was delighted to hear.
“Did McLaren win? Hamilton asked shortly after crossing the finish line.
“Yes, we have the Piastri P1, Verstappen, Norris P3, George P4,” Hamilton’s race engineer replied. “Oh, I can’t believe it! Impression! Oscar and team,” Hamilton said triumphantly.
Hamilton often spoke highly of his old team and was a fan of seeing the Woking-based team return to the top and compete for regular podiums.
Piastri was delighted with his victory in a chaotic 19-lap race where three safety cars were required.
He later admitted that he expected Verstappen to catch him at the last minute, but was relieved that that was not the case.
“Yes, it was fun. The racing was very intense,” Piastri said in his post-race interview at parc ferme.
“When I saw all the soft drivers pass at the start, I thought we were struggling a little bit, but then their tires came off quite quickly.
“The pace was reasonable and in a race where you have to manage a lot… I thought we did very well. Everything you can try and learn tomorrow is also important, I thought when he [Verstappen] was second I thought I was going to be in some trouble.
“Good job, man.”
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