Max Verstappen’s Qatar GP Victory Sets the Stage for F1 2025 Championship Showdown

McLaren’s title aspirations were significantly hindered by a strategic misjudgment during the Qatar Grand Prix, which ultimately allowed Max Verstappen to seize victory. Oscar Piastri claimed a remarkable second place, while Lando Norris finished fourth, placing added pressure on him in the championship standings. Norris currently leads Verstappen by just 12 points and Piastri by 16 points.

The 2025 Formula 1 championship is set for a thrilling climax in Abu Dhabi, as Verstappen’s win at the Qatar Grand Prix has intensified the title race. The outcome of this race was dramatically influenced by a Safety Car deployment on lap seven, following a collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly that involved a battle for ninth position.

At that crucial moment, McLaren’s drivers, Piastri and Norris, who were in first and third place respectively, opted not to pit. In contrast, Verstappen, running in second place, took the opportunity to enter the pits for fresh tires, a move quickly followed by nearly all competitors behind him.

Given the limitations of race stints due to tire durability on the high-speed Qatar circuit—capped at a maximum of 25 laps—McLaren’s decision not to pit placed their drivers at a clear disadvantage. They would still need to make two pit stops, while Verstappen, who was right behind them in the Safety Car queue, required only one additional stop to secure his strategy.

For Piastri and Norris, it became a desperate situation where they needed to either outpace Verstappen or hope for another Safety Car later in the race. Unfortunately for them, neither scenario unfolded, leaving them frustrated in their quest for the championship.

Piastri expressed his disappointment, stating he was “speechless” after the race, feeling that McLaren’s strategy call cost him a potential win. Norris, while salvaging what he could, finished fourth despite starting fifth on the penultimate lap. An error by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli allowed him to gain an additional place, which additionally provided him with two critical championship points.

Verstappen’s resurgence in the championship is remarkable, considering he was well behind in the standings prior to the summer break but has now narrowed the gap to just 12 points against Norris, with Piastri trailing him by 16 points. Though Norris is still perceived as the favorite to secure the championship, the margin for error has significantly diminished. To guarantee a title victory in Abu Dhabi, he must finish on the podium, assuming Verstappen takes the win.

Moreover, McLaren’s strategic blunder meant that Carlos Sainz also benefited, finishing on the podium for Williams in a well-deserved second place, just under a second ahead of Norris. Antonelli’s mishap resulted in a drop to fifth ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, while Fernando Alonso claimed seventh for Aston Martin despite some difficulties that included a late spin.

The weekend had not been favorable for Lewis Hamilton, who faced a disappointing Sprint event and concluded the race outside the points in 12th place.

The anticipation leading into the race centered on the starting dynamics, particularly how Verstappen would navigate the first corner after starting on the clean side of the grid in third position, making it essential for him to finish ahead of Norris to keep his title hopes alive. Verstappen indeed made a powerful start, quickly overtaking Norris for second, but Piastri’s exceptional launch from pole helped him maintain his lead, setting the stage for a race where overtaking was expected to be a challenge.

However, the unique one-off tire rule introduced specifically for the Qatar race significantly influenced the outcome more than any initial positioning battles. With teams informed they could only complete a maximum of 25 laps on a single set of tires, the arrival of the Safety Car on lap seven enabled many drivers, including Verstappen, to pit and complete two 25-lap stints.

This strategic advantage was pivotal when the Safety Car was deployed due to the crash between Gasly and Hulkenberg, which left the latter’s car stricken on the track. Despite his dominant performance throughout the weekend, McLaren’s decision to keep Piastri and Norris out at the end of that lap proved detrimental. Piastri extended his stint until lap 24 before pitting, while Norris followed suit a lap later.

After the race, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella reflected on the decision-making process, acknowledging, “It was a decision not to pit. In fairness, we didn’t expect everyone else to pit.” He admitted the oversight in strategy, stating that once other teams opted to pit, it became evident that it was the wrong call not to follow suit. Stella noted the uncertain nature of whether they would have to double-stack their cars in the pits and conceded, “There could have been a loss for Lando if we pitted both cars with the double stack, but effectively, the main reason was not expecting everyone else to pit.”

Piastri, who had shown great promise during the weekend, expressed his need for clarity on the decisions made, stating, “I left it in the team’s hands to decide what the best strategy was,” but felt the frustration of missing out on a likely victory due to the pit strategy.

Verstappen’s second win in consecutive weeks and his fifth victory in the last eight races have propelled him back into contention for the championship, now just 12 points behind Norris as they head to Abu Dhabi. Admitting that he did not foresee victory in Qatar, Verstappen attributed his success to the strategic benefits gained from pitting under the Safety Car while acknowledging that he and his Red Bull team did not have the same pace as McLaren initially.

His ability to manage the tires effectively and maintain a steady performance ultimately secured him an eight-second buffer over Piastri, who was left scrambling to catch up after making his second pit stop later in the race. In conclusion, Verstappen remarked, “It was all under control,” highlighting the effectiveness of their race strategy in this pivotal championship battle.

F1 Drivers’ Championship – top three

Driver	Team	Points
1) Lando Norris	McLaren	408
2) Max Verstappen	Red Bull	396
3) Oscar Piastri	McLaren	392

Qatar GP Result

Driver	Team	Time
1) Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:24.38.241
2) Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+7.995
3) Carlos Sainz	Williams	+22.665
4) Lando Norris	McLaren	+23.315
5) Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+28.317
6) George Russell	Mercedes	+48.599
7) Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+54.045
8) Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+56.785
9) Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+60.073
10) Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull	+61.770
11) Alex Albon	Williams	+66.931
12) Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+77.730
13) Gabriel Bortoleto	Sauber	+84.812
14) Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1 lap
15) Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1 lap
16) Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1 lap
17) Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2 laps
18) Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+2 laps
Oliver Bearman	Haas	DNF
Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	DNF