Oscar Piastri had cut Norris's lead in the championship to 22 points by winning the sprint race earlier in the day.

George Russell was third in a Mercedes while Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the only other driver who could win the title, qualified fourth. The defending champion is 25 points behind Norris.

Norris took an early grip on the final qualifying session, which was then interrupted after Carlos Sainz came out of the pits with plastic wrapping around one of the tyres on his Williams and it peeled off on a corner.

At the re-start, the drivers had enough time for a flying lap, but Norris abandoned after starting badly.

"I just had a bit of understeer and was going to go off so I had to abort," said Norris. "Which was a shame, but it's the way that it is."

Piastri made the most of his opening.

"That was mega," the Australian shouted into his radio.

The fastest qualifier has won all three previous Qatar Gran