RACE REPORT | F1 Qatar 2025

Max Verstappen kept his title hopes alive with a controlled victory in Qatar, sending the championship fight to a decisive finale in Abu Dhabi.

The race began in dramatic fashion as the lights went out at Lusail. Oscar Piastri made the best launch and held the lead into Turn 1, immediately taking control of the race. Verstappen also started well, passing Lando Norris for second place on the run to Turn 1. Norris tried to fight back at Turn 2 but Verstappen defended firmly and stayed ahead, settling in behind Piastri.

By the second lap Piastri had already built a gap of more than a second, giving himself room to manage the early phase. The field then fell into a steady rhythm, with drivers mindful of Pirelli’s strict rule limiting each tyre set to a maximum of 25 laps. With everyone forced into multiple stops, strategy was always going to be decisive.

The first disruption came on lap 7 when Nico Hülkenberg tangled with Pierre Gasly at Turn 1. Gasly suffered front-wing damage and pitted for repairs, while Hülkenberg retired. The Safety Car was deployed, prompting almost the entire field to pit for fresh tyres. Only the two McLarens and Esteban Ocon stayed out and committed to a longer first stint. Verstappen stopped under the Safety Car for mediums, putting himself in a strong position for the middle of the race. Ocon then received a five-second penalty for rolling at the start.

The race resumed at the end of lap 10, with Piastri managing the restart well. He timed his acceleration perfectly, momentarily catching Norris off guard. Verstappen closed in but focused on careful tyre management while the McLarens pushed hard on their older tyres.

As the laps passed, a question arose: had McLaren overextended their opening stint? With both cars required to pit by lap 25, there was a risk they could drop behind Fernando Alonso, who was leading a large train of cars. McLaren pushed to build enough of a gap — and just managed it. Piastri pitted at the end of lap 24 for mediums, rejoining in fifth, while Norris stopped one lap later and emerged just ahead of Alonso. Verstappen inherited the lead.

The second round of stops began around lap 32. Verstappen switched to hard tyres with a clean Red Bull stop and rejoined in third with clear air. Most of the field pitted soon after, while the McLarens stayed out longer again. Piastri briefly returned to the lead before stopping for hards on lap 42. Norris made his final stop on lap 44, also taking hards, and rejoined in fifth, handing Verstappen a comfortable lead.

The closing laps produced the biggest fights. Norris, on fresh tyres, chased down Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young Mercedes driver defended brilliantly, holding Norris back for several laps. Norris needed to clear him quickly to chase Carlos Sainz for the final podium place, but Sainz correctly predicted that Norris would struggle to pass and focused on protecting third position.

Up front Verstappen remained unchallenged, steadily extending his advantage to more than 10 seconds. Piastri held second without pressure from behind. On lap 56, Isack Hadjar suffered a tyre failure, and shortly afterwards Norris finally forced his way past Antonelli to move into fourth — but the gap to Sainz was too big to close.

Verstappen crossed the line for an important victory, Piastri secured second, and Sainz completed the podium — leaving the championship still open heading into Abu Dhabi.

Race results

1st Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 
2nd Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +7.995
3rd Carlos Sainz (Williams) +22.665
4th Lando Norris (McLaren) +23.315
5th Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +28.317
6th George Russell (Mercedes) +48.599
7th Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +54.045
8th Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +56.785
9th Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +60.073
10th Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +61.770
11th Alexander Albon (Williams) +66.931
12th Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +77.730
13th Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) +84.812
14th Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1 lap
15th Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1 lap
16th Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap

DNF – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
DNF – Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
DNF – Oliver Bearman (Haas)
DNF – Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber)