Verstappen wins Qatar GP to keep F1 world championship alive with Norris

After winning the penultimate race of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, four-time Formula One (F1) world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri kept the three-way 2025 drivers’ championship battle alive.

Verstappen’s lead over McLaren’s Norris, who finished fourth at Lusail Circuit, was 12 points clear of Verstappen heading into the 24th and final round of Abu Dhabi the following weekend.

Piastri, Norris’ teammate, finished second in the championship race after taking the lead from pole. However, the Australian still has a chance to claim the drivers’ title.

Verstappen and Piastri finished third, Carlos Sainz of Williams, in Qatar, to round out the podium.

Verstappen won his 70th grand prix career.

For the 2025 season, the top three drivers currently have seven victories.

McLaren makes a mistake in a call for early safety in a car.

Verstappen, who started the race from third place on the grid, overtook Piastri in the holeshot to the first corner, who was then followed by Norris on the front row.

Verstappen and Red Bull pitted against each other during lap seven, which gave way to a free pit stop, in contrast to McLaren, which kept its two drivers off the track, resulting in Norris and Piastri losing valuable time when they reached their final stop.

Verstappen’s control of the 57-lap contest continued as a result, with the Dutchman advancing past Piastri by just under eight seconds.

Piastri rebuffed his claim that “we did not get it right tonight.”

“I attempted to drive as quickly as I could, but it was not. Retrospectively, it seems pretty obvious what we should have done, but we’ll talk about it together. The Australian continued, “It’s a little difficult to swallow right now.”

Verstappen remarked, “A fantastic race for us. We placed the appropriate call beneath that safety car. A strong race for us during a difficult weekend.

Verstappen will look to make history by winning the final race at Yas Marina over Lewis Hamilton on the final lap following a contentious 2021 result.

Verstappen, who had earlier downed his chances earlier this season, said, “It’s possible now, but we will see.” “I don’t really worry too much about it,” he said.