F1 2025 Qatar Grand Prix results: Verstappen capitalises on McLaren blunder, title fight goes to Abu Dhabi

Max Verstappen kept his F1 title defence alive with a superb victory in the Qatar Grand Prix, while McLaren fumbled an assured win for Oscar Piastri with a sub-par strategic call early on. 

The result saw the championship gap narrow once again heading into the Abu Dhabi finale. Lando Norris, who finished fourth, sees his lead slashed to just 12 points over the reigning champion. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri’s second-place finish kept him in the hunt, sitting just 16 points behind his McLaren team-mate.

READ MORE: Who can still win the 2025 F1 title? 

Full summary of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix results

• Winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
• Second place: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
• Third place: Carlos Sainz (Williams)
• Lando Norris: Fourth after late overtake
• George Russell: Sixth following time penalties
• Lewis Hamilton: 12th after starting P17
• Ollie Bearman: DNF (Unsafe release/Mechanical)

2025 Qatar Grand Prix results

Verstappen masters the strategy

Max Verstappen delivered a champion’s drive when it mattered most, overturning a third-place qualifying effort to take maximum points.

The Dutchman made his intentions clear immediately, getting the better of title rival Norris into Turn 1 and sweeping around the outside to snatch second place. But it was in the pit lane that the race was truly won. 

When the Safety Car was deployed on Lap 8, Red Bull, along with the rest of the field, headed for the pits, stopping Verstappen for fresh mediums while both McLarens stayed out.

Although he initially rejoined in third, unable to make progress on the fresh rubber immediately, the strategy paid dividends later on. 

Once the McLarens had made both their stops, Verstappen assumed a lead he would not relinquish. Even a late charge from Piastri wasn't enough to rattle the four-time champion, who crossed the line to bring the deficit down to a tantalising 12 points.

Piastri denied dream weekend

Oscar Piastri rediscovered his early-season form when it mattered most, with a blistering weekend that started with a Sprint race victory and a pole position for the Grand Prix, setting a new track record in the process.

The Australian held the lead through the chaotic opening stages of the Grand Prix and aced the Safety Car restart. However, the decision to stay out under the early Safety Car meant he was out of sequence after all the stops had played out. 

In the final stint, Oscar was unable to cut the 15-second gap to Verstappen and finished eight seconds adrift, crossing the line second, keeping his slim title hopes alive.

Norris limits the damage

For championship leader Lando Norris, Qatar was an exercise in damage limitation. After taking third in the Sprint, he qualified second for the Grand Prix but immediately found himself on the back foot, dropping behind Verstappen at the start to run third.

Like his team-mate, Norris stayed out during the Lap 8 Safety Car, briefly inheriting second as Verstappen pitted. 

While Verstappen and Piastri vied for victory in the final stint, Norris managed a crucial overtake on Antonelli to salvage fourth place, earning himself two extra points that could prove decisive in Abu Dhabi.

A mixed bag for Russell 

George Russell endured a weekend of mixed fortunes for Mercedes. After maintaining his second place in the Sprint, his Grand Prix was compromised early, dropping from fourth to seventh on the opening lap.

His race was further complicated during the Safety Car period; a double-stack in the Mercedes pits saw him held up by a slow stop for team-mate Antonelli, dropping Russell to eighth. 

Despite a black-and-white flag for track limits, Russell kept his head and applied pressure to the cars ahead throughout the final stint. 

That paid off when Fernando Alonso spun on Lap 42 and Isack Hadjar picked up a puncture on the penultimate lap, elevating the Brit to sixth at the flag.

Tough outings for Hamilton and Bearman

Lewis Hamilton’s weekend was marred by a difficult qualifying that left him 17th on the grid. He made significant progress on the opening lap to rise to 14th but, like Russell, was the victim of a double-stack under the Safety Car. 

Stuck in midfield purgatory, he eventually finished 12th after another difficult weekend with Ferrari, gaining positions late on due to Hadjar’s puncture and Lance Stroll dropping down the order.

Meanwhile, compatriot Ollie Bearman also struggled in Qatar. After qualifying 13th and moving up to 12th early on, he pitted under the Safety Car to run inside the top 10. 

But disaster struck on Lap 33; a bad pit stop and a subsequent penalty for an unsafe release ruined his race, and he retired on Lap 41.

2025 Qatar Grand Prix – key takeaways

• Max Verstappen wins to close the championship gap to 12 points.
• Oscar Piastri finishes second, sitting 16 points behind Norris.
• Carlos Sainz grabs second podium of 2025 for Williams.
• Lando Norris recovers to fourth, retaining the championship lead.
• Title decider set for Abu Dhabi: Norris needs a podium to guarantee the title.
• George Russell finishes sixth after a chaotic race.
• Another lacklustre weekend for Lewis Hamilton.
• Ollie Bearman retires after a pit lane error. 

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