Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen is now within 12 points of leader Lando Norris heading into next weekend’s final race in the UAE.
Published November 30, 2025
Four-time Formula One (F1) world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing kept the three-way battle for the 2025 drivers’ championship between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri alive after winning Sunday’s penultimate race of the season, the Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen moved to within 12 points of McLaren’s Norris, who finished fourth at the Lusail circuit, ahead of next weekend’s final round in Abu Dhabi.
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Norris’ teammate Piastri finished second in the race after starting from pole position, leaving him 16 points behind in the championship race. However, the Australian still has a chance to win the drivers’ title.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz finished third in Qatar, finishing on the podium behind Verstappen and Piastri.
This victory was Verstappen’s 70th Grand Prix victory.
The top three drivers will now each have seven wins in the 2025 season.
McLaren fails in early safety car call
Piastri won the holeshot into the first corner and joined Norris on the front row, but was overtaken by Verstappen, who started the race from third on the grid.
On lap seven, Red Bull brought Verstappen into the pits under the safety car, resulting in a free pit stop unlike McLaren which kept two drivers on track, causing Norris and Piastri to lose valuable time when they later made their final stops.
This played into Verstappen’s hands, and the Dutchman was able to control the race for the rest of the 57-lap contest, crossing the finish line with a lead of just under eight seconds over Piastri.
“Obviously, it didn’t go well tonight,” Piastri admitted.
“I ran as fast as I could, but I shouldn’t have done that. In hindsight, it’s obvious what I should have done, but we’ll talk about it as a team. It’s a little hard (to swallow) at the moment,” added the Australian.
Verstappen said: “It was an unbelievable race for us. Boxing under the safety car was the right decision. It was a strong race for us after a difficult weekend.”
McLaren is currently heading to Abu Dhabi with the charging Verstappen in tow. They aim to repeat history by winning the championship in the final race at Yas Marina. He achieved it by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap after a controversial finish in 2021.
“It’s possible now, but we’ll see,” said Verstappen, who squandered his chances earlier this season. “Actually, I’m not too worried.”
