Max Verstappen produced another composed performance to win the Qatar Grand Prix, his seventh victory of the season, as a strategic misstep by McLaren deprived Lando Norris of the chance to secure the Drivers’ Championship with a race to spare. Oscar Piastri finished second for McLaren while Norris could only manage fourth.
Starting from third, Verstappen swept past Norris into Turn 1 and shadowed polesitter Piastri in the early laps. The race’s turning point came when Nico Hülkenberg’s stranded car brought out the Safety Car. Red Bull called Verstappen into the pits under the Safety Car — a move influenced by the mandatory 25-lap tyre usage rule — while both McLarens remained on track. Verstappen rejoined in third and, as McLaren completed their subsequent stops, cycled ahead to take the lead and ultimately the win. ‘This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under the Safety Car,’ Verstappen said after the race.
McLaren’s decision not to pit under the Safety Car proved costly. The team had locked out the front row and, on paper, looked well placed on Lusail’s high-speed circuit where passing is difficult. Zak Brown later described the choice as ‘the wrong decision.’ By the time Piastri emerged from his second stop he was some 15 seconds shy of Verstappen. Norris, who at times fell as low as fifth, recovered to fourth after a late mistake from a Mercedes driver, but missed the chance to seal the title. The result leaves Norris 12 points clear of Verstappen heading to Abu Dhabi, with Piastri a further four points behind.
Carlos Sainz grabbed a strong third place for Williams. Starting seventh, Sainz climbed early, benefited from his pit sequence and McLaren’s alternative strategy, and held off pressure from Mercedes to claim his second podium of the season. He called the result a welcome surprise after an anticipated tricky weekend for the team.
Ferrari endured another disappointing event. Both drivers struggled for balance throughout practice and qualifying. Charles Leclerc qualified ninth for the Sprint but failed to score in that session; he recovered to eighth in the Grand Prix after others collided or encountered problems. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 for a second consecutive weekend and finished outside the points, compounding a frustrating run for the Scuderia.
The Safety Car caused by Hülkenberg’s stranded car was the decisive tactical factor in a race also notable for high-profile guests: Novak Djokovic presented Sprint trophies, while Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Serena Williams were among the celebrities on the grid. Metallica were spotted in the pit lane and Kevin Hart waved the chequered flag.
The championship now heads to a title-deciding finale in Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen’s big win keeping him in contention and McLaren left to rue the strategic call that delayed Norris’s coronation.