Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen closed to within 12 points of leader Lando Norris heading into final round in UAE next weekend.
Four-time Formula One (F1) world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing kept the three-way 2025 drivers’ championship battle alive with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after securing victory in the penultimate race of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen closed to within 12 points of McLaren’s Norris, who finished fourth at Lusail Circuit, heading into the 24th and final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
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Norris’s teammate Piastri finished second in the race after starting on pole position and is now 16 points behind in the championship battle. But the Australian is still in with a chance to win the drivers’ title.
Carlos Sainz of Williams finished third in Qatar to round out the podium behind Verstappen and Piastri.
The victory was Verstappen’s 70th grand prix career victory.
The top three drivers now each have seven wins for the 2025 season.
McLaren get it wrong on early safety car call
Piastri won the holeshot to the first corner with Norris alongside him on the front row, only to be overtaken by Verstappen, who began the race from third spot on the grid.
During lap seven, Red Bull pitted Verstappen under a safety car, resulting in a free pit stop, unlike McLaren, which kept its two drivers out on the track, resulting in Norris and Piastri losing valuable time later when they made their final stop.
This played into Verstappen’s hands, with the Dutchman able to control the race for the remainder of the 57-lap contest, crossing the finish line ahead of Piastri by just under eight seconds.
“Clearly, we did not get it right tonight,” conceded Piastri.
“I drove as fast as I could, but it wasn’t to be. In hindsight, it is pretty obvious what we should have done, but we’ll discuss that as a team. [It’s] a little bit tough to swallow at the moment,” the Australian added.
Verstappen said: “An incredible race for us. We made the right call to box under that safety car. A strong race for us on a weekend that was tough.”
The McLarens now head to Abu Dhabi with a hard-charging Verstappen looking to repeat history by clinching a championship in the last race at Yas Marina, having done so when he overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap after a controversial finish in 2021.
“It’s possible now, but we will see,” said Verstappen, who had written off his chances earlier this season. “I don’t really worry about it too much.”
