DOHA: Oscar Piastri was gifted victory by team-mate Lando Norris in a one-two for McLaren in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday which gave the team precious points in the fight for the Formula One constructors' title.
Norris let Piastri pass him close to the finish line in a move which probably a payback for earlier in the season, when Piastri helped the then title contender Norris.
"It was probably a bit closer than I was wanting [to swap positions], but I had planned to do it since Brazil. It was a bit sketchy, the team told me not to do it, but I did it anyway," Norris said in his post-race interview.
McLaren had a great start, with polesitter Norris holding on to his lead and Piastri overtaking the Mercedes of George Russell for second.
Russell chased Piastri during the entire race aiming to recover his position, but the Australian stood his ground and then was handed victory by his team-mate.
"It was about defence for the whole race. I had a good start, a good Turn 1 but I killed the front (tyres) a little bit early on and was struggling for the rest of the Sprint. Some great teamwork, without that would have been a difficult sprint," Piastri said.
Russell completed the podium in third, while Ferrari were fourth and fifth with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc respectively.
Leclerc had lost his fifth place to Lewis Hamilton, but recovered it to grab an extra point with a sensational overtake in lap 13.
Norris had his title dreams ended at last weekend's Las Vegas GP, when Max Verstappen of Red Bull sealed a fourth consecutive drivers' championship, but will now focus on helping his team to clinch the constructors' trophy.
Leaders McLaren increased their advantage over Ferrari in the standings from 24 to 30 points. Red Bull are third, further 37 adrift after Verstappen finished the sprint in eighth.
Hamilton in the other Mercedes in sixth and Nico Hülkenberg of Haas in seventh were the other drivers scoring points.
McLaren need to finish Sunday's Grand Prix with a 44 point lead - assuming they win the race - to secure the constructors' this weekend.
Red Bull are the current constructors' title holders. Ferrari haven't claimed the trophy since 2008 and McLaren since 1998.
Qualifying for Sunday's race is later on Saturday.
