Max Verstappen did not win the sprint shoot-out at the Qatar Grand Prix. He set the third fastest time in qualifying for the sprint race. The Red Bull driver was trumped by the two McLaren drivers on the Losail circuit.
Australian Oscar Piastri won the shoot-out in a time of 1.24.454. His British teammate Lando Norris recorded the second fastest time. He was 0.082 seconds slower than Piastri. Verstappen conceded 0.192 seconds to the young Australian.
The result of the sprint shoot-out means that Verstappen will start from third place on Saturday at 7:30 PM in the sprint race over 100 kilometers. The Dutchman can already win his third world title in that race. He only needs 3 more points to win the championship, which means that sixth place in the sprint race is sufficient.