A strategy error from McLaren and another masterclass from Max Verstappen made the Qatar Grand Prix pivotal in the 2025 Drivers’ Championship. Verstappen took victory — his seventh of the season — while McLaren’s Lando Norris missed the chance to clinch his maiden title with a race to spare, finishing fourth. Team-mate Oscar Piastri finished second.
Verstappen’s recovery and timing
Starting from P3, Verstappen jumped Norris into Turn 1 and followed polesitter Piastri in the opening laps. A Safety Car was called when Nico Hülkenberg’s Kick Sauber stranded on track. Red Bull boxed Verstappen under the Safety Car for tyre management (a mandatory 25-lap tyre usage rule played a part), while both McLarens stayed out. Verstappen rejoined third, then cycled ahead as the McLarens completed their pit sequences. After both McLaren drivers made their second stops, the path was clear for Verstappen to take the win and keep his championship hopes alive heading to Abu Dhabi. “This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under the Safety Car,” he said.
McLaren’s costly call
McLaren had locked out the front row and, on paper, held the advantage on Lusail’s high-speed layout where overtaking is tough. But the team elected not to pit under the Safety Car — a decision McLaren CEO Zak Brown later called “the wrong decision.” By the time both McLarens completed their second stops, Piastri ran second but was about 15 seconds behind Verstappen. Norris struggled for pace relative to his team-mate and ran as low as P5 before moving up to P4 when a Mercedes driver went wide late in the race. The result leaves Norris with a 12-point lead over Verstappen heading to Abu Dhabi, with Piastri a further four points behind.
Williams and Sainz
Carlos Sainz secured an impressive podium for Williams. Starting seventh, Sainz moved up early, took advantage of his opening pit sequence and McLaren’s alternate strategy, and held off the Mercedes challenge to claim third — his second podium of the season. Sainz praised the result after what had been expected to be a difficult weekend for Williams.
Ferrari woes continue
Ferrari endured another difficult weekend. Both drivers struggled for balance in practice and qualifying. Charles Leclerc qualified ninth for the Sprint but fell back and finished the Sprint scoreless; he recovered to eighth in the Grand Prix after others collided and suffered issues. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 for the second consecutive weekend and finished outside the points, adding to a frustrating run for the Scuderia.
Other notes
Nico Hülkenberg’s stranded car prompted the Safety Car that influenced strategy. The race also featured a parade of celebrity guests across the weekend: Novak Djokovic presented Sprint trophies, and Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Serena Williams were among those on the grid. Metallica were seen in the pit lane, and Kevin Hart waved the chequered flag to close an eventful Qatar Grand Prix.
The championship is set for a title-decider in Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen still in contention after a big win and McLaren left to rue the strategic call that delayed Norris’s coronation.