Max Verstappen on track to clinch 3rd F1 title Saturday

Oscar Piastri took pole position in qualifying for the sprint race in Qatar later Saturday, with Max Verstappen on the verge of clinching his third consecutive Formula One title.

Australian rookie Piastri beat his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by .082 seconds for first place, with Verstappen in third, .192 off the pace.

Norris seemed to have the pace to beat Piastri on his last lap of the session but went wide on the last corner.

Verstappen needs to finish at least sixth in the 19-lap sprint to ensure he wins the title. Otherwise, he will also be champion if his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finishes outside the top three.

Title #3 now loading...⏳<a href="https://twitter.com/Max33Verstappen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Max33Verstappen</a> just needs to out-score his team mate by three points across the Qatar weekend to be crowned champion for the third time