Qatar Grand Prix 2025 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Max Verstappen delivered a crucial victory at the Qatar Grand Prix to keep the championship battle alive heading into the Abu Dhabi finale, capitalizing on a costly McLaren strategy error that transformed the race outcome. The Red Bull driver controlled the 57-lap race at Lusail International Circuit to finish 7.995 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Williams' Carlos Sainz Jr. claiming a remarkable podium in third. Championship leader Lando Norris could only manage fourth place as a disastrous pit strategy dropped him out of contention, reducing his points advantage to just 12 over Verstappen with one race remaining.

The weekend began with Oscar Piastri's dominance across both Saturday sessions. The Australian claimed pole for the sprint with a time of 1:20.055, just 0.032 seconds clear of Mercedes' George Russell, before converting that advantage into a commanding sprint victory. Piastri led every lap of the 19-lap sprint, extending his lead to over two seconds and ultimately winning by 4.951 seconds over Russell, with teammate Norris third. Verstappen struggled with severe porpoising throughout the sprint, reporting the bouncing was "very bad" and finishing fourth despite starting sixth. Yuki Tsunoda and Kimi Antonelli both received five-second penalties for exceeding track limits, dropping Antonelli from points-paying fifth to sixth. Sunday's qualifying witnessed another Piastri masterclass as he denied Norris pole position with a sublime 1:19.387, edging his teammate by 0.108 seconds, with Verstappen qualifying third just over a tenth behind Norris.

The main race narrative shifted dramatically at the start when Verstappen executed a decisive move on Norris into Turn 1, demoting the championship leader to third as Piastri surged into an early lead. The pivotal moment came on lap seven when a collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly at Turn 1 brought out the Safety Car. With tire regulations mandating a maximum 25-lap stint, every team except McLaren made the strategic decision to pit. The gamble left both Piastri and Norris on an alternative strategy that would prove disastrous, particularly for the pole-sitter who saw a commanding race lead evaporate. Piastri would later express his frustration, saying he was "speechless, I have no words" about how McLaren managed to lose him the race. Following the restart, Verstappen controlled proceedings while Piastri fought back through the field. When the McLarens finally pitted, Norris emerged in traffic and struggled to clear Sainz and Antonelli, only managing to pass the Mercedes driver on the penultimate lap when Antonelli ran wide. The race featured retirements for Hulkenberg after his collision with Gasly, Lance Stroll and Isack Hadjar who both failed to finish, and Oliver Bearman who retired on lap 41. Verstappen's seventh victory of the season reduced Norris's championship lead from 22 points to 12, while Piastri sits 16 points adrift, setting up a three-way title showdown for the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit.