F1 focus shifts in Qatar as McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull fight for constructors' title

Max Verstappen won big in Las Vegas with his fourth world title, but the fight for Formula 1’s biggest cash prize is hotting up this week in Qatar.

Max Verstappen won big in Las Vegas with his fourth world title, but the fight for Formula 1's biggest cash prize is hotting up this week in Qatar.

The lucrative constructors' championship is still wide open with McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull battling for the title. The contest for teams is worth around $140 million to the winner, though the precise payout depends on variables.

This weekend in Qatar, a sprint race on Saturday means extra points are on offer — a maximum of 59 for a team over the whole weekend.

McLaren leads by 24 points from Ferrari, with Verstappen's Red Bull 29 further back. McLaren could seal its first constructors' crown since 1998 this Sunday, wrapping up the title ahead of the final round in Abu Dhabi next week, but would likely need either a perfect weekend or for Ferrari to encounter problems.

McLaren's Lando Norris beat Mercedes' George Russell by just .063 of a second to take pole position Friday for the Saturday sprint race. Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri is third, .159 off the pace, ahead of the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jr and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen is sixth.

"Great qualifying today, especially to bounce back from where we were last time out in Vegas," said Norris, whose title chances ended with a sixth-place finish behind Verstappen in Las Vegas.

"We're coming here to get pole and we did that, so job done for today." Leclerc led the way in the sole practice session earlier Friday, with Norris 0.425 seconds slower and Piastri .047 further back. Verstappen was 11th fastest.