Lando Norris (pictured) and Oscar Piastri paid heavily for McLaren’s tactical blunder at the Qatar Grand Prix - Getty Images/Jayce IllmanTom CarySun, November 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM UTC·36 min readb'
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Oscar Piastri was left “speechless” while Lando Norris said he “just wanted to go to bed” after a strategic blunder from McLaren allowed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to steal victory in Qatar, ensuring a three-horse title race will go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt will be the first time since 2010 that more than two drivers are in contention on the final day.
Norris remains in control of the championship. Just. A controversial late overtake on Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli – which Red Bull questioned in-race, leading to a later row with Mercedes – allowed the Briton to finish fourth.
That means, with a lead of 12 points over Verstappen and 16 points over McLaren team-mate Piastri, who finished second here, Norris has the luxury of being able to finish third at the final race on Yas Island to be sure of being crowned champion.
His job has been made much harder, though, after what was a horrible race for McLaren.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter their double-disqualification in Las Vegas the previous weekend, McLaren had the opportunity to wrap things up in Qatar. Piastri and Norris started P1 and P2. But Norris was immediately passed by Verstappen into turn one, the Dutchman having nothing to lose, knowing he needed to beat Norris to remain in title contention.
McLaren still had control of the race at that point, with Piastri in clean air at the front. But they lost it when a safety car came out on lap seven following a collision between Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and virtually everyone – bar the two McLarens – pitted.
Verstappen was able to catch back up to his rivals behind the safety car, knowing they still had to make two stops, which were mandated in Qatar because of high tyre wear. McLaren effectively gave 25 seconds – the length of a pitstop – to their rivals for free, gambling on another safety car incident later in the race.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella conceded it had been a “mistake” in hindsight, but said they did not want to come out in traffic and did not anticipate every car behind them stopping. Nor did they want to double-stack, which would have lost Norris lots of places while he waited.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey could have split their strategies though. Indeed, Norris questioned in-race why he had not been brought in after Piastri stayed out. The impression given was that they did not want to be accused of favouring one of their drivers, the team’s “Papaya Rules” dictating that they have to be completely even-handed.
James Vowles, the Williams team principal, was asked by Sky Sports F1 during the race about McLaren’s decision and replied: “I would have brought at least one in but that’s easy for me to say from my position here.”
Either way, McLaren were unable to create enough of a gap to Verstappen to be able to pit their drivers and come out in front. Piastri managed to come out behind Verstappen in second place following his second stop, but was unable to catch back up to the Dutchman.
Norris, who had earlier gone off track, potentially damaging his car, came out in fifth place, behind both the Williams of Carlos Sainz and the Mercedes of Antonelli. The 26-year-old managed to pass the Italian on the penultimate lap – a crucial overtake as it happens, since it meant he could finish third rather than second in Abu Dhabi – but it proved controversial, with Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase insinuating foul play from McLaren’s engine partners.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Not sure what happened to Antonelli there,” Lambiase said. “It looked like he pulled over and just let Lando through.” The suggestion infuriated Mercedes Toto Wolff, who called it “brainless”.
Either way, both Piastri and Norris were left bitterly disappointed at the loss of crucial points. “Speechless,” Piastri said on his cool-down lap. “I don’t have any words.”
Later the Australian, who had been the strongest driver all weekend but now finds himself in the worst position heading into the final day, added: “Feeling pretty c--- as you’d imagine. I don’t really know what to say. Obviously we didn’t get it right with the strategy – the pace was very strong, I feel like I didn’t put a foot wrong. I left it in the team’s hands to decide what the best strategy was, they’ve clearly got more info than I do.”
Norris looked shell-shocked. “There is nothing I can do about it,” he said. “It is not our greatest day, it is not our greatest weekend but I don’t know if anyone saw the run of results I had before? They were great. I put myself in this position and I am still happy.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It was not my finest day in terms of driving and putting things together. That is life. Everyone has bad weekends. I take it on the chin, we all take it on the chin, and we will see what we can do next weekend.”
“I just want to go to bed,” he added.
It will be the first time since 2010 that more than two drivers can still mathematically win the title at the final race. It was Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber who were in contention 15 years ago.
Stella insisted that, despite Verstappen closing in, there was no way McLaren would favour Norris over Piastri. Not while the Australian could still win himself.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“To race with integrity is a fundamental principle of ours,” he said. “Between now and Abu Dhabi there will be further conversations with Lando and Oscar. We will confirm our racing approach and certainly if any driver is in condition to pursue the title we will respect this. There will be no call that will exclude either driver while he is in condition to win.”
Verstappen has become the horror movie villain that Brown was worried about
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Zak Brown, McLaren’s chief executive, described Max Verstappen earlier this week as like the villain you cannot kill off. “He’s like that guy in the horror movie that right as you think he’s not coming back… he’s back!” the American said of Red Bull’s four-time world champion, who has somehow clawed his way back, from over 100 points off the pace after Zandvoort in August, to lie just 12 points behind Lando Norris heading to the final race in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNever mind Freddy Krueger, this was a nightmare in the desert for McLaren. The Woking team had the opportunity to wrap things up in Qatar. To put Verstappen away for good. Piastri and Norris were first and second on the starting grid. Norris knew if he finished ahead of Verstappen, it was game over for the Dutchman, who began the day 25 points behind him. Instead, Verstappen will head to Yas Island with the wind in his sails and the scent of blood in his nostrils.
“Well, it’s all possible now,” Verstappen said, grinning, when asked whether he felt he could overturn his 12-point deficit next Sunday. “We’ll see. I don’t really worry about it too much.”
Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, a result that left Norris’s title hopes in jeopardy - Getty Images/Mark ThompsonThat is more than can be said for Norris, who looked sick with disappointment afterwards. The whole team did. Brown and Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal, declined to speak to Sky Sports F1 immediately after the race, taking themselves off to the team’s garage for a conflab before media duties. But what could they really say? It was a horrendous error to leave both their drivers out after the safety car was deployed on lap seven. And that is not speaking with the benefit of hindsight.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEveryone on the grid before the race was talking about the tyre regulations brought in especially for Qatar, mandating a maximum of 25 laps per set of tyres. They meant that for a 57-lap race, the earliest you could make your two stops were lap seven and lap 32. There was always going to be a rush for the pits.
Even after they chose to leave Piastri out, McLaren could have pitted Norris, splitting their strategies. Sources at the team denied this was because they were worried about being seen to favour Norris over Piastri if that strategy worked, but rather because they felt it was better to retain “tactical flexibility”. But not everyone was convinced. “I would have brought at least one in but that’s easy for me to say from my position here,” noted the Williams team principal James Vowles, whose driver Carlos Sainz secured a brilliant podium as a result of McLaren’s error.
That is now two races in a row in which McLaren have blown serious points. If the double-disqualification in Las Vegas was a body blow, this was like being bashed over the head when you are already concussed.
The one consolation for the team was that Norris was able to pass Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli before the end of the race, meaning third place will be enough for the 26-year-old next weekend. But even that is no gimme, given what is on the line. By Norris’s own admission, this weekend was not his finest of the season and it is going to be a true test of his mettle now to finish it off. You can feel the pressure building, the eyes of the world on him, the celebrities in attendance. It was like a 2006 World Cup reunion in Qatar with Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand all jetting in.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDestiny is still in Norris’s hands though. And neutrals can look forward to a fascinating final weekend. Not since 2010, when Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton and Webber were all in contention, have we had a final day with so many possible permutations.
Verstappen will be hoping to prove Brown right and complete his resurrection. The Dutchman laughed when asked whether he was in McLaren’s heads. “He can call me Chucky,” he said, referencing the killer doll from the horror franchise. “Is that short enough for you? I don’t know. I thought [Brown’s description] was quite funny. From my side, I just focus on myself. I know that when I go in the car, I just try to do the best – like, I guess, everyone does. But, yeah, that’s the only thing I can control, right? And that’s the only thing I focus on.”
06:16pm
More from Oscar Piastri in the media pen
“I have not spoken to anyone but I feel pretty c--- as you can imagine. I do not know what to say. We did not get it right with the strategy. The pace was very strong. I did not put a foot wrong. Just a shame. I left it [whether to pit] in the team’s hands to decide what the best strategy was. They had more information than I do. But, yeah...”
On whether the decision not to pit under the safety car was partly down to McLaren having fair treatment for their drivers:
“I am not sure today’s decision was to do with that. We potentially just got it wrong. I will speak to the team. I will just try [next weekend in Abu Dhabi] like I did this weekend. I was more than good enough to dominate this weekend and if I can do the same thing in Abu Dhabi, I will be a happy man.”
06:12pm
Martin Brundle on Sky Sports
“I do not think papaya rules cost McLaren. I think they just read it wrong. They thought they would get a Safety Car opportunity later on, they wanted that flexibility. Pretty much everybody else doubled stacked. Andrea [Stella] made a point that he thought half the field would stay out, because were right on the cusp; lap seven was the first point where pitting made sense.
“They misunderstood it all and got it wrong. It would have hurt Lando Norris stacking. Who knows whether they could have fed them out? I do not think that was on their mind. I think they thought they were doing the right thing strategically for the race to keep that flexibility later on. But the tyres did not fall apart and Max Verstappen was plenty fast enough.”
06:06pm
More from Andrea Stella
“The flexibility was related to another Safety Car, which would have put us in a strong position. For all the others, their strategy was prescribed. As a matter of fact, it worked very well for everyone who stopped on Lap 7.
“We thought the pace in the car allowed us to open up a gap but, again, there was not much tyre degradation and we could not exploit entirely the pace of the car. Not the desired outcome. First of all, we understand Oscar [Piastri] being extremely disappointed. He did everything right this weekend. He was fast, solid and consistent.
“The drivers deserved to capitalise on their great performance. In terms of adapting the way we go racing, we just want to always keep options open for both drivers.
“They [Norris and Piastri] are both in condition to win the championship. There has often been a situation where the third driver wins the championship; I remember 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, the same in 2010 with Sebastian Vettel. We have to respect Oscar has his chance to win and we will let them race.”
06:03pm
Norris’ championship lead cut
The Briton, who leads the drivers’ championship by 12 points going into the final round, has been speaking in the media pen to Sky Sports:
“It is tough. We just have to have faith in the team in making the right decision. It is always a gamble. I feel like we are the ones who took the gamble in a way. Now it is the wrong decision and we should not have done it. Oscar lost the win and I lost P2. We did not do a good job today, but we have done plenty of good jobs in other races and we won the constructors’ seven or six races ago because of that. Not our finest day, but that’s life.”
On whether ‘papaya rules’ is hurting both drivers:
“It has nothing to do with that. Everyone keeps thinking that, but it has got nothing to do with that. We are free to race. Red Bull were just as quick today as they were yesterday. They did a better job as a team and made the right call. That’s it.
“We will review things, see what we could have done better. We already know, we did not make the right decision. You cannot get them all right, you know. They do their job. I do my job. If we do that we will be fine.”
Lando Norris leads by 12 points in the drivers’ standings going into the final round - David Davies/PA06:02pm
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella speaking to Sky Sports
“It is a disappointing result overall. We had the potential to win the race with Oscar [Piastri], he deserved that. He was fastest in qualifying and the sprint. Certainly the podium was available for Lando [Norris] but we lost the victory with Oscar and we lost the podium with Lando.
“Definitely not the outcome we wanted. Something we will review with the decision we made when there was the Safety Car on Lap 7. As usual we will learn from racing and will get stronger for the next event, which will become more important.”
On the decision not to pit under the safety car:
“It was a decision not to pit. In fairness, we did not expect everyone else to pit. Once everyone pitted, it makes that the right thing to do. When you have the lead car, you do not know what the others are going to do.
“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. It was a decision. As a matter of fact it was not the correct decision.”
05:56pm
How things have changed since Zandvoort
05:55pm
Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who claimed the final podium position in third
“I am so happy, so proud of the whole team, of what we have done today because we came into this weekend thinking it was going to be the most difficult weekend of the year and suddenly we came out with a podium.
“We nailed the race pace. I was super quick, much quicker than expected. We nailed the strategy, nailed the tyre management, the start, the defending and management and that brought us an unexpected podium, so I cannot be more proud.
“We got everything right today. We had a tough first half of the season when things did not come together, but we improved in so many areas during the year and today there were a few opportunities out there to grab, and we grabbed all of them by executing a perfect race. I am over the moon with this podium because I absolutely did not expect it.”
A surprise podium for Williams - Peter Fox/Getty Images05:52pm
Quotes from Oscar Piastri, who finished second
“Clearly we did not get it right tonight. I drove the best race that I could and as fast as I could. There was nothing left out there.
“I tried my best but it was not to be tonight unfortunately. I think in hindsight it is pretty obvious what we would have done, but I am sure we will discuss it as a team.
“It is not all bad. It has been a really good weekend and the pace has been very strong. Obviously it is a little bit tough to swallow at the moment.”
Should McLaren have pitted their drivers under the safety car? - Darko Bandic/AP05:46pm
The thoughts of race winner Max Verstappen
“This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under that Safety Car. That was smart. I am super happy to win here. We stay in the fight until the end. Incredible! It was a very strong race on a weekend that was a bit tough but we won the race and that was important.”
On McLaren’s decision not to pit under the safety car:
“I was like that is an interesting move! I knew we had a gap but you still need to keep the tyres alive. The tyre wear is high around here and luckily it all worked out. It is all possible now! We will see. I do not worry about it too much.”
Max Verstappen started third but came through to win - Jakub Porzycki/Reuters05:43pm
Ted Kravitz on Sky Sports
“Normally at the end of these races I speak to Andrea Stella or Zak Brown quite quickly. They are shell-shocked down here at McLaren. They do not know what to say, they have gone down to the back of the garage.
“They said no interviews until after the podium. They need to go and understand, get their ducks in a row, and explain this all away.”
Altaf Qadr/Shutterstock05:39pm
Top three in the standings going into the final race
Lando Norris (McLaren)- 408 points
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)- 396 points
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 392 points
05:33pm
Piastri speechless
The Australian, after the chequered flag, says over team radio that he “has no words”.
05:31pm
Crucial pass at the end?
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf my maths is right, it is very important that Norris passes Antonelli. As things stand Norris will be 10pts ahead of Verstappen tonight. That would mean if Verstappen won again in Abu Dhabi next week, Norris would have to finish second to be champion as they’d be level on points and Verstappen would win on countback. If Norris passes Antonelli then I *think* he can finish third in Abu Dhabi and still be crowned champion.
05:28pm Key moments
Max Verstappen wins the Qatar Grand Prix
The Dutchman comes across the line to take victory, just over eight seconds ahead of Piastri. Sainz just about holds on to third to take the third podium spot. Norris is fourth, which means he holds a 12-point advantage over Verstappen heading to Abu Dhabi next weekend. Piastri is 16 points down on Norris.
05:27pm Key moments
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLap 56 of 57
Antonelli runs wide at turn 10, which allows Norris to go through to take fourth. Will he be able to chase down Sainz on the final lap?
05:25pm
Lap 56 of 57
Hadjar is running slowly as he has a puncture.
05:25pm
Lap 55 of 57
As things stand, Verstappen would close up to 10 points behind Norris in the standings, unless Norris can make up one or two places in these final few laps.
05:23pm
Lap 54 of 57
Norris is still stuck behind Antonelli, who is closing in on Sainz as we approach the final few laps.
05:21pm
Lap 52 of 57
Sainz is worried about understeer through right-hand corners and he is told there is damage to the bottom of the car.
05:19pm
Lap 51 of 57
The McLaren looks so slow in a straight line compared to the Mercedes of Antonelli, despite both cars carrying the Mercedes engine. Norris was within six tenths of Antonelli out of the final turn but could only close up two tenths by the end of the lap.
05:18pm
Lap 50 of 57
Norris had DRS behind Antonelli but does not even get a chance to make a move into turn one. All the time Norris is stuck behind Antonelli gives him less time to chase down Sainz.
05:16pm
Lap 49 of 57
Piastri is not closing on Verstappen fast enough and it looks like the Dutchman will take victory tonight.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMeanwhile Norris is just over a second behind Antonelli and needs to get past him quickly so he can go after Sainz.
05:14pm
Lap 47 of 57
Piastri has brought the gap to Verstappen down to under 15 seconds but the gap is not coming down fast enough.
Norris is three seconds behind Antonelli, who is two and a half seconds behind Sainz.
05:10pm
Lap 45 of 57
Norris is told to box and he comes into the pits. Verstappen goes into the lead, around 16 seconds ahead of Piastri. Norris re-emerges behind Sainz and Antonelli but can really push on tyres that are more than 10 laps younger than the two in front of him.
05:09pm
Lap 43 of 57
Norris is staying out, presumably hoping for a safety car. He is set to come out behind Sainz and Antonelli, but should then easily pass them after coming into the pits.
05:07pm
Lap 42 of 57
Verstappen is now within DRS behind Norris as McLaren are bringing Piastri in. It is a new set of hards for Piastri and it is a rapid 1.8-second stop for the Australian.
05:05pm
Lap 41 of 57
Piastri is having some conversations with his race engineer Tom Stallard and is asking whether it makes sense to pit now and try and chase Verstappen down. The Australian has run wide similarly to Norris at turn 14.
05:02pm
Lap 39 of 57
Top five with gaps:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPiastri (Interval)
Norris +7.0
Verstappen +1.8
Sainz +20.5
Antonelli +3.7
04:59pm
Lap 37 of 57
Norris has lost some time to Piastri and has reported that there may be some damage to his car as he went off. He had quite a moment on the exit of turn 14 and did well to keep it together as he ran wide in that high-speed section.
04:58pm
Lap 36 of 57
Unless there is a safety or virtual safety car, it is looking encouraging for Verstappen to win this race, which is what he needs to stay in the championship fight going to Abu Dhabi next weekend. If there were to be a safety car soon, that would suddenly massively play into McLaren’s hands.
04:55pm
Lap 34 of 57
Verstappen is only just over three seconds behind Norris, with both McLarens still needing to pit one more time. The two McLarens are on the medium whilst Verstappen is on the hards.
04:53pm
Lap 33 of 57
Verstappen does come in this time, as he has to, and puts on the hards. That will lead the stampede into the pits for most of the grid. It is chaos in the pits!
04:52pm
Lap 32 of 57
Verstappen is told to box but he does not come in. Norris cannot get the move done on Antonelli up the inside of turn one. Piastri is still stuck behind Sainz.
04:51pm
Lap 31 of 57
Whilst Piastri has closed up behind Sainz, Norris now has DRS behind Antonelli.
04:49pm
Lap 30 of 57
Piastri has come up to the back of Antonelli, who will have to come in very soon. With the aid of DRS, Piastri gets the move done down the inside of Antonelli into turn one. Sainz and Verstappen still ahead of Piastri. Norris is fifth.
04:44pm
Lap 26 of 57
Norris is told by his race engineer that they want to go another 25 laps on this tyre, suggesting they will go onto the softs for the final stint.
04:43pm
Lap 25 of 57
Norris has to come in and he does. A new set of mediums go on and it is a 2.2 second stop. Will he emerge ahead of Alonso? Yes he does. McLaren needed that fast stop and Norris stays just ahead of Alonso. If that stop had been any slower, Alonso probably would have got past.
Stunning stop from McLaren - Mark Thompson/Getty Images04:42pm
Lap 24 of 57
McLaren will not double stack and Piastri is coming in. If it is a good stop, Piastri will emerge ahead of Alonso. It is a solid stop and he should emerge ahead of Alonso and he does. Now is the time for Norris to push and box at the end of the next lap.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNorris may not come back out ahead of Alonso though. If there was ever a time for a two-second stop from McLaren, now is that time...
One McLaren into the pits, the other coming in next - Mark Thompson/Getty Images04:40pm
Lap 23 of 57
As Piastri finishes lap 23, he has more than 26 seconds back to Alonso in sixth, which is enough for a stop. What tyres are the McLarens going to go onto and do they double stack?
04:35pm
Lap 20 of 57
McLaren will be targeting emerging ahead of Alonso in sixth. There is a long queue forming behind Alonso, a DRS train if you will, and it may well be that Piastri and Norris, at their current pace, could get ahead of Alonso when they pit in a few laps’ time. Could former McLaren driver Alonso do their two current drivers a favour tonight?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWill McLaren double stack when they reach the maximum 25-lap mark or will one of the two come in a lap before?
04:33pm
Lap 18 of 57
With McLaren having to pit at lap 25 at the latest, it is looking inevitable now that unless there is some form of safety car that Piastri and Norris will come back out into some sort of traffic.
What tyre will McLaren put on for Piastri and Norris in their second stint?
The two McLarens pushing hard - Clive Mason/Getty Images04:29pm
Lap 16 of 57
Top five with gaps:
Piastri (Interval)
Norris +2.7
Verstappen +4.9
Sainz +3.2
Antonelli +2.0
04:25pm
Lap 13 of 57
The McLarens have raced away, knowing they need to build a gap as everyone behind has pitted. Norris does not have DRS behind Piastri but is more than three seconds clear of Verstappen. The two McLarens will presumably be coming in around the 25-lap mark. They will not want a situation where when they have to come in that they do not come back out in traffic. Unless there is another safety car or virtual safety car, it is a long pit-lane loss, around 26 seconds.
04:20pm
Lap 10 of 57
The safety car is in at the end of this lap. Norris is told by his race engineer to “get close”.
04:18pm Analysis
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLap 9 of 57
Norris has been having a conversation with his race engineer Will Joseph, asking why they did not just come in with Verstappen pitting and Piastri staying out. Joseph says that everyone else has lost their tactical flexibility by stopping.
Ocon has received a five-second penalty for a false start.
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Fascinating. Everyone was watching for a Lap 7 safety car given the 25-lap maximum for these tyres - and that’s exactly what happened. Should Norris have stopped given Piastri didn’t? I can understand his question.
04:15pm Video
Lap 8 of 57
Both McLarens continue but Verstappen pits. We are right on that cut-off of 25 maximum lap stints for the next two stints. Everyone other than the McLarens and Ocon come in to pit. It did not work particularly well for Mercedes, who double stacked. With nearly everyone coming in, it negatively affected Russell, who lost a number of places.
04:13pm
Lap 7 of 57
Yellow flags are out as Hulkenberg is off between turns one and two. He is out of the race and Gasly is going slower having picked up damage. Have they come together? Hulkenberg attempted a move around the outside of Gasly at turn one and there was contact between Hulkenberg’s rear right and Gasly’s front left. Will that be deemed a racing incident or Gasly’s fault?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA safety car is deployed so will we see drivers come into the pits?
Nico Hulkenberg out of the race - Rula Rouhana/Reuters04:13pm
Lap 6 of 57
Ocon, who is down in 15th, could be in trouble for moving before the signal at the start.
04:11pm Analysis • Opinion
Lap 5 of 57
Verstappen has completed about “quite extreme balance shifts” when going from left to right corners.
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Clean air is king. Would expect Norris to hang on to his tyres and try to beat Verstappen on strategy rather than stay on his exhaust pipe.
04:09pm
Lap 3 of 57
Piastri has pulled more than two seconds clear of Verstappen, who is around a second and a half ahead of Piastri. A reminder that this stint can only be a maximum of 25 laps, the longest stint mandated on any one set of tyres.
04:06pm
Lap 2 of 57
It has been the perfect start for Piastri who, not only held onto first place, but has got more than a second ahead of Verstappen. Norris has fallen out of DRS range behind Verstappen.
04:04pm Key moments • Video
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLap 1 of 57
Verstappen gets the better of Norris into turn one to take second and Norris takes no risks with the Dutchman. Norris’ initial getaway was fine but then Verstappen got the better of the second stage of the run down to turn one.
Russell has had a poor start and has dropped from fourth to seventh.
04:03pm
Go, go, go!
The lights go out and we are under way in the Qatar Grand Prix.
04:00pm
Formation lap
Which tyres are the front-runners starting on? All of the top ten are going to start on a new set of medium tyres.
Hulkenberg in 11th is the first man not on mediums and he is on softs. The other drivers not starting on mediums; Albon (hard), Hamilton (soft) and Colapinto (hard). Colapinto will start from the pits.
03:57pm Analysis
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementVerstappen to send it?
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Mercedes confident they can give Max a run for his money today. They’re also fully expecting the four-time champ to go for it into Turn 1. Russell going to have to keep his wits about him. Steven Gerrard has just wished Russell good luck as non-team members are ushered off the grid.
03:56pm
Top three in the drivers’ standings
Lando Norris (McLaren)- 396 points
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 374 points
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)- 371 points
If Norris ends today 26 or more points clear of the two men behind him, he will be crowned world champion.
03:55pm
Five-minute klaxon
We are nearly ready for action in Qatar. Here is how the top ten line up:
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
03:52pm
Ted Kravitz on Sky Sports
“I have just spotted a mechanic just filing away with a bit of sticky resin the front bib part of Oscar’s [Piastri] car.
“When the car came to the grid, they got down on the floor and had a look at the underside, and saw something that needed a bit of attention. Just a little bit of gravel rash perhaps.”
03:51pm
Will Norris seal the title today?
03:50pm
A few words from some of the front-runners
Oscar Piastri:
“It will be the same as always [racing Lando Norris]. We are obviously fighting for a win and a championship, so we will race each other the same as we have done.”
George Russell:
“The track was not feeling amazing to be honest. It has obviously been a few hours since F2 was out, but it is the same for everybody. It will be a nice long run to Turn 1.”
Max Verstappen:
“Good. Like always! I am here to have a good time an hopefully we can have a good one. We will do our best.”
03:47pm
Lando has Gordon’s backing!
03:46pm
“Crackle in the air”
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt didn’t feel too tense earlier but there’s definitely a crackle in the air now. Lando looking pretty tense as he got out of the car, as well he might given what’s at stake. Nice moment with Carlos Sainz Snr coming over to wish him luck.
03:39pm
Zak Brown talking to Sky Sports
“We spoke about it this afternoon as we always do. Kind of business as usual. If we can walk out of here with it being a papaya race in Abu Dhabi that would be an ideal result. So if we finish where we started that would be a great result, having Oscar [Piastri] and Lando [Norris] going into the final race duking it out. Obviously Lando has slightly different views of what an ideal weekend looks like but, for us, we just want to know we are going to have a papaya driver out on top. That could happen tonight or could happen in Abu Dhabi or, worst case scenario, could not happen.
“He [Max Verstappen] is going to go for it, isn’t he? We have got good pace, so does he, but he probably knows his best chance to stay into the game is to lead in to Turn One. So I expect him to probably lift last. But that is how he races anyway so I am not sure he is going to be any different to how he normally is.”
03:37pm
Power unit change
News from Red Bull that Max Verstappen has changed power unit but there is no penalty as it is part of the season’s pool. Karun Chandhok has been speaking about that on Sky Sports:
“I wonder if Red Bull have gone for the fresh power unit they used in Brazil in Verstappen’s car.
“Maybe they have kept that in their pocket to roll out on Sunday and find a bit more performance.”
03:36pm
Martin Brundle on the grid
As he always does, he is catching up with plenty of celebrities on the grid. One minute he is speaking to Kevin Hart, the next he is chatting to Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard. Rio and Stevie G are backing compatriot Lando Norris to wrap up the title today.
Then Brundle finds Maya Jama and Novak Djokovic.
03:35pm
Tyre chat
There is a mandatory maximum of 25 laps usage on any set of tyres, which means that this race will be at least a two-stop race. The only laps not counted towards the totals are laps from the pit lane to the grid, formation laps and those completed after the chequered flag in Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s grand prix.
03:32pm
Story of yesterday
After securing sprint pole on Friday, Oscar Piastri led from start to finish in the sprint. George Russell started in second and came home in the same place, with Lando Norris retaining third place throughout the sprint. Max Verstappen made up two places from the start to finish sixth.
In qualifying for today’s race, Norris did have provisional pole on the first laps in Q3 but an aborted final effort from Norris opened the door for Piastri and the Australian took it to claim pole. Verstappen will start third with Russell in fourth.
03:30pm Key moments
A reminder of how the top three in the standings look going into today’s race
Lando Norris (McLaren)- 396 points
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 374 points
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)- 371 points
If Norris ends today 26 or more points clear of the two men behind him, he will be crowned champion.
03:28pm Key moments
How does Norris win it today?
Here are the various ways in which Lando Norris can be crowned world champion today:
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03:25pm Key moments
Starting grid
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
Oliver Bearman (Haas)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Esteban Ocon (Haas)
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)*
Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
*Bortoleto drops five places from a grid penalty picked up from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
03:20pm Key moments
Will Norris be crowned champion today?
Lando Norris could seal the world championship today for the first time in his career as Qatar hosts the penultimate race of the season. Norris, who starts from second today, goes into today’s race 22 points ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, who starts on pole for today’s race, and 25 clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who will begin the race from third. Piastri cut Norris’ advantage by two points after winning the sprint yesterday, with Norris finishing third and Verstappen fourth. Norris knows a win today will guarantee the title with a race remaining or if he leaves the weekend at least 26 points ahead of both Piastri and Verstappen.
“Yesterday [Friday], I did not really feel like I had the pace for pole,” Norris said. “Today [Saturday], I felt a lot more comfortable and convinced I would have been on pole. But I am not now. I am pretty disappointed with myself because of that. I had to abort. I was going to go off the track [at turn two]. The understeer got worse as I went through the corner. And I damaged a floor yesterday. I did not want to damage another one today.
“But Oscar [Piastri] did a good job, so I cannot take anything away from the fact that he has driven well all weekend. I paid the price for my mistakes. It is still not a bad day. I am still second. I still felt a lot happier with the car, so I am definitely feeling better about things. I missed my opportunity to make my life a lot easier [for the race].”
Will Lando Norris win the title today or can Oscar Piastri take it to Abu Dhabi? - Altaf Qadri/APPiastri has looked good all weekend, claiming pole for both the sprint and today’s race whilst also winning the sprint.
“Everything has felt great all weekend,” Piastri said. “The team did a great job, had a little bit of a question mark on which tyres I wanted to use. I did a lap on the used set and that threw a spanner in the works because did not expect them to be so good but went well on the new ones. Tonight [yesterday] we will review some things and see what I can do better than this morning, we are in a good position, progress, but it is a long race.”
Verstappen came through from sixth to fourth in the sprint and has qualified on the second row for today’s race.
“This qualifying was a little bit better even though we were still quite far off. Still some limitations [in the car]. But at least we are P3 and it creates better opportunities because we know it is quite hard to pass around here.”
George Russell will start with fourth, one place ahead of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc round out the top ten.
Will Norris secure his first world championship today or can Piastri and Verstappen take it to the final round in Abu Dhabi? The race gets under way at 4pm.
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