2025 Qatar Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Whatever came next in Formula 1’s increasingly dramatic three-way fight for supremacy, the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix arrived like a pressure cooker ready to boil over. Under the desert floodlights at Lusail, the penultimate round of the 2025 F1 World Championship brought with it not only the final Sprint of the year, but the last major strategic curveball before everything would be decided. It was a weekend where one decisive opportunity could swing the entire season, and where Qatar offered a perfect cross-section of intensity: track evolution through the night, tyre degradation that can unravel a race in seconds, and championship contenders who no longer had the luxury of caution.

The shock post-race disqualifications of McLaren’s title protagonists Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Las Vegas had transformed what looked like a two-car fight into a tantalising three-way showdown. Max Verstappen, seemingly on the ropes weeks ago, had blasted his way back into the picture after a commanding win on the Strip, restoring Red Bull’s belief and reigniting the title narrative just as the sands run out. Now, with only two rounds left, Qatar was poised to reshape the fate of a championship that has refused to follow any script.

Pole position
Driver	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
Time	1:19.387
Fastest lap
Driver	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
Time	1:22.996 on lap 44
Podium
First	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Second	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
Third	Carlos Sainz	Williams

Set against the backdrop of the Qatari desert, the 3.367-mile Lusail International Circuit remained a relative newcomer to Formula 1, having debuted in 2021, yet it had already carved out a reputation as one of the calendar’s purest high-speed tests. Its long, arcing corners stitch together into an uninterrupted rhythm that rewards bravery and precision while relentlessly punishing tyres. Drivers talk about the feeling of surfing the circuit’s flow—but the same sweeping lines also make it notoriously difficult to run closely in the dirty air of another car.

Overtaking opportunities are therefore at a premium. Lusail in 2025 featured just a single DRS zone down the main straight, magnifying the braking fight into Turn One. That corner offering both inside and outside lines for a move, but mistime the attack and the counterstrike is immediate through the fast right-handers that follow.

As ever in Qatar, the weather plays supporting actor rather than wildcard. Rain isn’t in the script across the three-day weekend, and the evening format keeps air temps around 25°C before dipping toward 20°C for Saturday qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix. That cooling trend would sharpen the strategic picture: tyre warm-up, track evolution, and how teams balanced aggression with longevity to define the racing just as much as outright pace.

Lusail International Circuit Stats

The 2025 race weekend was the fourth edition of the Qatar Grand Prix, with Lusail having featured previously in 2021, 2023, and 2024. In its short but already influential time on the calendar, one name stood out above the rest: Max Verstappen. The Dutchman had conquered Doha for the past two seasons, earning himself the title of Qatar’s most successful driver and making Red Bull Racing the team with the strongest track record under the desert floodlights. His 2023 victory even carried extra weight—securing the 2023 World Championship here.

Despite his dominance in recent years, the pole statistic told a different story. Verstappen held two of the three fastest race laps recorded in Qatar, yet he had only started from pole once. The honour of the circuit’s maiden victory belongs to Lewis Hamilton, who converted pole to win in the inaugural 2021 event for Mercedes.

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
28 November 2025	Free Practice 1 (FP1)	4:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time
28 November 2025	Sprint Qualifying	8:30 pm to 9:14 pm local time
29 November 2025	Sprint	5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time
29 November 2025	Qualifying	9:00 pm to 10:00 pm local time
30 November 2025	Race	7:00 pm local time

In Friday Sprint qualifying, Oscar Piastri claimed pole for with a 1:20.055 in SQ3, narrowly beating George Russell as Lando Norris finished third. Fernando Alonso took P4, Yuki Tsunoda impressed in P5 ahead of Max Verstappen, while Hamilton fell in SQ1.

Saturday’s Sprint race saw Oscar Piastri convert the Sprint pole into a commanding victory, leading all 19 laps ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris. Verstappen improved to fourth but struggled with porpoising, while track-limit penalties reshaped the result, penalising Tsunoda, who ended up P5 and Antonelli, P6.

In Saturday qualifying, Oscar Piastri claimed pole with a 1:19.387, edging teammate Lando Norris by 0.108s for a McLaren front-row lockout as Max Verstappen lined up third. Mercedes locked out P4 and P5, while Tsunoda, Ocon and Hamilton all fell in Q1 as Hulkenberg missed Q3 by just 0.003s.

In Sunday’s race, Max Verstappen revived his title hopes with victory, beating Oscar Piastri after McLaren’s split strategy left both drivers needing extra stops. Lando Norris finished fourth after struggling to clear traffic, reducing his championship lead to only 12 points over Verstappen and 16 over Piastri. Carlos Sainz delivered his second podium of the season in third, with Antonelli fifth and Alonso surviving a 360° spin to finish seventh.

Championship background

The title picture had been ripped wide open heading into Qatar, with the fallout from the dramatic post-race disqualifications in Las Vegas dragging Max Verstappen firmly back into the conversation. His commanding victory on the Strip had cut deep into the McLaren drivers’ advantage and, with only two rounds remaining, the reigning champion suddenly found himself within a single race win of the points lead. What once looked like Lando Norris versus Oscar Piastri had rapidly transformed into a three-driver showdown with everything still to play for.

Yet Norris retained control of his own destiny. He arrived at Lusail holding a valuable 24-point buffer over both rivals, and the maths is straightforward: finish Sunday with a lead of 26 points or more, and he secured a maiden world title without having to endure a winner-takes-all finale in Abu Dhabi. But after the gut-punch of his Vegas exclusion, neither the Briton nor McLaren could afford the slightest lapse. Verstappen’s resurgence had applied maximum pressure, momentum trending Red Bull’s way, and any misstep risked handing the Dutchman the upper hand when it mattered most.

Piastri, meanwhile, faced a different psychological battle. Even before losing fourth place to disqualification in Las Vegas, the Australian’s weekend had been bruising, and his early-season sharpness had proven elusive in recent outings. Still, he remained mathematically in touch—and with the landscape shifting by the session, he would believe that a return to form here could yet thrust him back into contention.

And as if the tension required another layer, Qatar delivered the final Sprint of the year. That 100km dash on Saturday offered a pivotal haul of points on a weekend when every single one could be decisive. In a championship fight this tight, even the short race could have long-lasting consequences.

Race entries

The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2025 season’s entry list, apart from:

• A driver swap at the sister teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, where Yuki Tsunoda moved up to the parent Red Bull team and Liam Lawson headed in the opposite direction back to Racing Bulls, for round three at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
• Jack Doohan stepping out of the race seat at Alpine (post Miami), beginning with the following round, the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The team confirmed that former Williams and Alpine reserve driver, Franco Colapinto, would take his place alongside number one driver, Pierre Gasly.

Aside from these changes, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.

Tyre choices

Pirelli arrived in Qatar with the heavyweight end of their range: C1, C2 and C3—the only trio that had ever been trusted around Lusail in recent seasons, and a natural fit for a circuit that assaults tyres with Suzuka-like ferocity. With high-speed corners giving rubber almost no chance to cool or recover, the long right-hand sweep from Turns 12–14 delivering the most punishing energy load of the lap. Even with a relatively smooth asphalt, graining up to 2025 had been a recurring theme, and tyre wear was expected to shape race strategy more than raw pace again.

A key factor for 2025 was the lap limit regulation agreed by Pirelli, the FIA, and the teams. Each tyre set for the race weekend could not be used for no more than 25 laps, counted cumulatively across all competitive running—including Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car laps. Formation laps, laps to the grid, and cooldown laps after the flag would not count, but the 57-lap race distance guaranteed at least two mandatory tyre changes. Before lights-out on Sunday, Pirelli would confirm to each team how many laps remained on each compound set, adding a layer of tactical friction to an already intense championship fight. The rule was designed to prevent tyres running beyond their structural limit, addressing the high-wear strains that surfaced in previous Qatar events.

In the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, nearly everyone opened on Mediums—with Nico Hülkenberg the sole Hard-starter—and a one-stop seemed possible on paper. Drivers stretched their first stints deep into the race before switching to Hards around lap 34 under a red flag, only for late Safety Cars to tempt a handful into a Soft-tyre sprint that collapsed under heavy degradation. With the same compound selection and a hard mileage cap in place, 2025 promised an even sharper strategic puzzle.

FIND OUT MORE

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  F1 Tyres: An Ultimate Guide to How They Work

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  The History of Pirelli Tyres in Formula 1

Free Practice

Oscar Piastri fired McLaren to the top of FP1 in Qatar, setting the benchmark in the sole practice session before Sprint Qualifying. McLaren initially struggled for grip on hard tyres, but a late move to softs transformed their pace, with Norris slotting into second just 0.058s back.

Fernando Alonso completed the top three for Aston Martin, while Verstappen endured tyre and steering concerns and ended up sixth. With only one hour of running and Sprint Quali approaching, teams now faced a tight turnaround to finalise setup direction under the Lusail lights.

Full Free Practice Reports

• 

  2025 Qatar GP FP1: Piastri Fastest From Norris in First Practice

Free Practice 1 Classification

FP1 of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix was held on 28 November 2025 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:20.924	29
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.058s	28
3	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+0.386s	26
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+0.480s	20
5	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+0.579s	30
6	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.580s	27
7	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+0.685s	29
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.744s	31
9	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+0.745s	26
10	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.774s	32
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	+0.859s	23
12	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.870s	28
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	+0.872s	28
14	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.900s	33
15	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.002s	26
16	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	+1.002s	29
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.172s	30
18	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.500s	25
19	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.638s	30
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.605s	26

Sprint Qualifying

Oscar Piastri secured Sprint pole in Qatar with a superb 1:20.055, edging George Russell by just 0.032s as title rival Lando Norris placed third after a wide moment on his final push. Alonso and Tsunoda locked down P4 and P5, while Verstappen struggled with bouncing and could do no better than sixth.

Mercedes rookie Antonelli impressed in P7 ahead of Sainz, Leclerc and Albon. Isack Hadjar missed out on SQ3 when his final lap was deleted for track limits, finishing P11 ahead of Bearman and Bortoleto, while Hulkenberg suffered an identical fate and took P14 ahead of Ocon.

SQ1 delivered the biggest shock as Stroll, Lawson and Hamilton were all eliminated early, with the Alpine pair Gasly and Colapinto completing the grid.

The following day, Saturday, four cars had been relegated to the pit lane: Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, and Franco Colapinto. All four cars endured a difficult sprint qualifying on Friday, exiting the session after SQ1.

Full Qualifying Report

• 

  2025 Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying: Piastri Takes Sprint Pole off Russell

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  F1 Qualifying Rules Explained: How Formula 1 Sets the Grid

Sprint Qualifying Classification

Sprint Qualifying for the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix was held on 28 November 2025 from 8:30 pm to 9:14 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:21.286	1:21.005	1:20.055	18
2	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:21.432	1:21.136	1:20.087	19
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:21.398	1:20.956	1:20.285	18
4	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:21.276	1:21.272	1:20.450	18
5	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:21.458	1:21.152	1:20.519	20
6	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:21.172	1:21.036	1:20.528	20
7	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:21.555	1:21.376	1:20.532	18
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:21.438	1:21.172	1:20.542	20
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:21.636	1:21.190	1:20.622	20
10	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:21.721	1:21.212	1:20.788	20
11	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:21.399	1:21.433		14
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:21.526	1:21.494		14
13	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:21.623	1:21.567		13
14	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:21.327	1:21.631		14
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:21.773	1:21.666		14
16	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:21.807			7
17	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:21.851			6
18	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:22.043			8
19	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:22.112			8
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:22.364			8

2025 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Starting Grid

The Sprint starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying session.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:20.055	18
2	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:20.087	19
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:20.285	18
4	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:20.450	18
5	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:20.519	20
6	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:20.528	20
7	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:20.532	18
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:20.542	20
9	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.622	20
10	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:20.788	20
11	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:21.433	14
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:21.494	14
13	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:21.567	13
14	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:21.631	14
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:21.666	14
16	18	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:21.851	6
Pitlane	30	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:21.807	7
Pitlane	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:22.043	8
Pitlane	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:22.112	8
Pitlane	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:22.364	8

Sprint Race

Oscar Piastri stormed to Sprint victory in Qatar, backing up his pole lap with a flawless lights-to-flag drive ahead of Russell and Norris, tightening the title fight heading toward Sunday. Verstappen made early progress but porpoising limited him to fourth, his radio filled with complaints as McLaren controlled the pace.

Track limits became the subplot of the race as Tsunoda was first penalised before Antonelli followed with the same infraction, leaving the Japanese driver P5 and the Mercedes rookie sixth. Alonso and Sainz completed the points in a Sprint.

Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Sauber and Haas all finished outside the points, with several pit-lane starters using the event for data gathering. Piastri’s win sharpened the championship narrative — Qatar had landed a heavy blow, and the Grand Prix now loomed with everything on the line.

Sprint Race Report

• 

  2025 Qatar GP Sprint Race: Full Report & Highlights

Sprint Race Classification

The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Race was held on 29 November 2025, at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	19	26:51.033	8
2	63	George Russell	Mercedes	19	+4.951s	7
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	19	+6.279s	6
4	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	19	+9.054s	5
5	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	19	+19.327s	4
6	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	19	+21.391s	3
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	19	+24.556s	2
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	19	+27.333s	1
9	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	19	+28.206s	0
10	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	19	+28.925s	0
11	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	19	+32.966s	0
12	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	19	+34.529s	0
13	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	19	+35.182s	0
14	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	19	+36.916s	0
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	19	+38.838s	0
16	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	19	+39.638s	0
17	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	19	+46.171s	0
18	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	19	+69.534s	0
19	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	19	+77.960s	0
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	19	+80.804s	0

Qualifying

Oscar Piastri secured a crucial pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix with a 1:19.387, edging Norris by 0.108s for a McLaren front-row lockout, while Verstappen slotted in third — placing all three championship rivals at the front and setting up a defining fight for the Championship. Russell and Antonelli completed the top five in a strong result for Mercedes, with Sainz, Alonso, Gasly and Leclerc behind.

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Q2 was tight and punishing, Nico Hulkenberg missing the cut for Q3 by just 0.003s, joining Lawson, Bearman and Bortoleto — the latter losing out after clipping gravel on his final attempt. Albon also failed to advance and faced a post-session investigation for a pit-lane incident.

Q1 delivered shocks as Tsunoda, Ocon and Hamilton were eliminated early, Hamilton marking three straight Q1 exits. Stroll and Colapinto also fell at the first hurdle.

Full Qualifying Report

• 

  2025 Qatar GP Qualifying: McLaren front row Lockout, Piastri from Norris

• 

  F1 Qualifying Rules Explained: How Formula 1 Sets the Grid

Qualifying Classification

Qualifying for the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix was held on 29 November 2025 from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:20.234	1:19.650	1:19.387	18
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:20.157	1:19.861	1:19.495	17
3	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:20.472	1:19.985	1:19.651	23
4	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:20.074	1:20.186	1:19.662	26
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:20.576	1:20.084	1:19.846	22
6	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:20.603	1:20.350	1:20.114	20
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:20.520	1:20.251	1:20.287	25
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:20.598	1:20.219	1:20.418	21
9	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:20.681	1:20.324	1:20.477	21
10	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.564	1:20.343	1:20.561	23
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:20.630	1:20.353		20
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:20.539	1:20.433		15
13	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:20.548	1:20.438		20
14	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:20.653	1:20.534		20
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:20.629	1:20.629		19
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:20.761			9
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:20.864			11
18	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:20.907			9
19	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:21.058			10
20	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:21.137			9

2025 Qatar Grand Prix Starting Grid

The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying session.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:19.387	18
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:19.495	17
3	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:19.651	23
4	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:19.662	26
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:19.846	22
6	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:20.114	20
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:20.287	25
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:20.418	21
9	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:20.477	21
10	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:20.561	23
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:20.353	20
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:20.433	15
13	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	1:20.438	20
14	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:20.534	20
15	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:20.629	19
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:20.761	9
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	1:20.864	11
18	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:20.907	9
19	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:21.058	10
Pitlane	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:21.137	9

What happened in the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen blew the 2025 title fight wide open. In a tense and strategically complex 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver overturned the odds to beat Oscar Piastri and drag the Championship to a final-round conclusion in Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris, who entered Lusail with a 22-point cushion over his nearest challengers, could only finish fourth — a result that slashed his lead to just 12 points over Verstappen, with Piastri only four further back. The championship battle, once drifting toward a McLaren coronation, was now set for a winner-takes-all finale.

Verstappen’s win — his seventh of 2025 — stemmed directly from strategy. Starting third, he immediately jumped Norris off the line and latched onto Piastri’s gearbox, the trio running nose-to-tail until Lap 7, when a collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly triggered a critical Safety Car. With Pirelli enforcing a strict 25-lap limit per tyre set, the Safety Car opened a narrow window for a strategic split — and McLaren took it. While nearly the entire field pitted, Piastri and Norris stayed out, banking track position but locking themselves into two later stops. It was the moment the race pivoted.

Piastri dictated the opening stint, dropping Norris by over a second inside one lap and controlling the pace as following proved almost impossible through Lusail’s long, aerodynamic-heavy corners. But with the McLarens needing to pit before Lap 25, Verstappen waited. When Piastri and Norris finally boxed on laps 24 and 25, the Dutchman emerged with net track position — and from there, the fight was mathematical rather than wheel-to-wheel. Piastri rejoined into clean air and built back into contention quickly, later passing Kimi Antonelli decisively into Turn 1, but Norris fell into a four-car battle pack and lost vital time hunting for a way past.

Carlos Sainz delivered a standout performance to score his second podium of the season, capitalising on the strategic cycle to beat Antonelli, who secured a valuable P5 for Mercedes despite late pressure. Isack Hadjar was set for sixth until a puncture with three laps to go promoted George Russell, with Fernando Alonso surviving a full, dramatic 360-degree spin to finish seventh. Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda completed the points as the other Williams, and both Haas and Sauber endured another difficult afternoon.

Further back, the midfield told its own story. Albon led the second group in P11, ahead of Hamilton — whose Ferrari lacked race pace throughout — with Bortoleto, Colapinto and Ocon following. Ocon served a five-second penalty for a false start, while Gasly and Stroll rounded out the classified finishers. Hulkenberg’s race ended in the Turn 1 gravel after contact with Gasly, and Ollie Bearman retired after serving a 10-second stop/go for an unsafe car. Hadjar limped home last, bitterly leaving Qatar without the points his speed deserved.

How it unfolded

The launch was decisive. Norris, starting second, stumbled fractionally while Verstappen surged, sweeping around the outside into Turn 1 to split the two McLarens. Piastri broke DRS immediately, stretching a 1.1s advantage by the end of Lap 1, while behind them Russell lost three places after a wide moment at Turn 2. Hulkenberg and Gasly clashed soon after, the Sauber pitched into the gravel as its right-rear collapsed. The moment triggered the all-important Safety Car.

Racing resumed Lap 11 with Piastri leading Norris, Verstappen, Sainz and Antonelli. McLaren pushed hard — at one point lapping over a second faster than the entire field — but with a mandatory tyre-stint cap, the decision not to stop under Safety Car proved fatal. Piastri boxed on Lap 24 and Norris on Lap 25, but the latter rejoined behind Alonso, costing him critical time and leaving Verstappen in a position of control.

When the field pitted en masse on Lap 32, the maths crystallised: Verstappen emerged P3 on hards, only 7.6 seconds behind Piastri with one fewer stop required. Norris then compounded his afternoon with a near-spin over the Turn 14 kerb as the car snapped, asking urgently for damage checks. The McLaren pair were pushing at the edge, yet the title leader found himself going backwards.

Piastri stopped again on Lap 42, Norris on Lap 44, and the final order was set. Verstappen pulled clear and never looked back. Sainz held firm for P3, Antonelli slipped to fifth but still scored strongly, and Norris — in a desperate late push — finally cleared the Mercedes rookie only when he ran wide on the penultimate lap.

Verstappen crossed the line eight seconds clear.

The title gap was now 12. The fight was still alive, and Abu Dhabi awaited. With three contenders. One race left. The 2025 F1 World Championship would be settled under the final sunset of the season.

2025 Qatar Grand Prix race results

The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix Race was held on 30 November 2025 at 7:00 pm local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	57	01:24:38	25
2	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	57	+7.995s	18
3	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	57	+22.665s	15
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	57	+23.315s	12
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	57	+28.317s	10
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	57	+48.599s	8
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	57	+54.045s	6
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	57	+56.785s	4
9	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	57	+60.073s	2
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	57	+61.770s	1
11	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	57	+66.931s	0
12	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	57	+77.730s	0
13	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	57	+84.812s	0
14	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	56	+1 lap	0
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	56	+1 lap	0
16	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	56	+1 lap	0
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	55	DNF	0
18	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	55	DNF	0
NC	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	41	DNF	0
NC	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	6	DNF	0

2025 Qatar Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	44	20:10:07	1:22.996	235.052
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	47	20:14:29	1:23.197	234.484
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	56	20:27:30	1:23.198	234.481
4	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	52	20:21:12	1:23.484	233.678
5	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	50	20:18:14	1:23.498	233.639
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	48	20:15:49	1:23.859	232.633
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	57	20:28:59	1:23.940	232.408
8	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	55	20:25:40	1:23.955	232.367
9	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	54	20:24:52	1:23.971	232.323
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	57	20:29:07	1:24.139	231.859
11	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	57	20:29:12	1:24.261	231.523
12	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	52	20:21:51	1:24.317	231.369
13	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	56	20:27:37	1:24.432	231.054
14	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	52	20:22:13	1:24.848	229.921
15	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	34	19:56:42	1:24.930	229.699
16	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	36	19:59:32	1:25.056	229.359
17	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	54	20:25:12	1:25.233	228.883
18	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	55	20:25:18	1:25.376	228.499
19	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	52	20:22:23	1:25.644	227.784
20	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	5	19:10:55	1:28.139	22

2025 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix.

2025 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

Pos	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	408
2	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	396
3	Oscar Piastri	AUS	McLaren	392
4	George Russell	GBR	Mercedes	309
5	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	230
6	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Ferrari	152
7	Kimi Antonelli	ITA	Mercedes	150
8	Alexander Albon	THA	Williams Mercedes	73
9	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Williams Mercedes	64
10	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT	51
11	Nico Hulkenberg	GER	Kick Sauber Ferrari	49
12	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Aston Martin Mercedes	48
13	Oliver Bearman	GBR	Haas Ferrari	41
14	Liam Lawson	NZL	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT	38
15	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	33
16	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Haas Ferrari	32
17	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin Mercedes	32
18	Pierre Gasly	FRA	Alpine Renualt	22
19	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Kick Sauber Ferrari	19
20	Franco Colapinto	ARG	Alpine Renualt	0
21	Jack Doohan	AUS	Alpine Renualt	0

2025 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

Pos.	Team	PTS
1	McLaren Mercedes	770
2	Mercedes	441
3	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	400
4	Ferrari	378
5	Williams Mercedes	122
6	Racing Bulls Honda RBPT	90
7	Aston Martin Mercedes	74
8	Haas Ferrari	73
9	Kick Sauber Ferrari	68
10	Alpine Renualt	22