All three contenders— Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri—will head to Abu Dhabi with genuine chances of becoming the F1 World Champion 2025.
Max Verstappen again reminded everyone why he is a four-time World Champion by dominating the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
The Red Bull driver capitalized on every slip-up from McLaren and every twist in the race to extend the title fight to the season finale in Abu Dhabi, where he, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris will all arrive with a realistic shot at the crown.
The penultimate round of the year began with huge tension, as Lando Norris had a legitimate chance to seal the championship early. But the entire outlook changed by lap seven, when Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly collided in Turn 1 at Losail. Hülkenberg’s Sauber was eliminated on the spot, while Gasly limped on with a damaged car.
The crash triggered the safety car—an intervention that completely reshaped race strategies and opened a crucial window of opportunity for Verstappen. While the McLarens of Norris and Piastri elected to stay out under safety-car conditions, Verstappen dove into the pits for his first tire change. That decision proved decisive, giving the Dutchman a much stronger rhythm in the laps that followed and positioning him perfectly to fight for the victory at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri kept the pressure on and finished second, staying within range for most of the afternoon, but never close enough to seriously threaten the Red Bull. Carlos Sainz—now racing for Williams—delivered a surprise by securing third place thanks to a strategy far more coherent than McLaren’s.
Lando Norris, who could have clinched the title with a win at the Qatar Grand Prix, saw his hopes collapse after another questionable McLaren strategy call. A poorly timed pit sequence left him trailing Sainz and ultimately relegated him to fourth.
Despite late-race issues with his car, Sainz maintained a strong pace to record his second podium with Williams—the 29th of his career—while Andrea Kimi Antonelli made a late error that allowed Norris to gain one extra position, something Red Bull believes may not have been entirely accidental.
The outcome drastically reduced Norris’ cushion in the standings, setting up a dramatic showdown for the final round. Both Verstappen and Piastri slashed his lead and remain firmly in the hunt for the championship.
With Verstappen’s triumph in Qatar, the title fight is now completely open. All three contenders—Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri—will head to Abu Dhabi with genuine chances of becoming World Champion, marking one of the most tightly contested season endings in recent memory.
Norris arrived at the Qatar Grand Prix with a 24-point advantage over both Piastri and Verstappen. But after finishing third in the sprint and then only fourth in the main race, his once-comfortable margin has nearly evaporated. Everything will now be decided at the Abu Dhabi finale, where the championship hangs by a thread.
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