Verstappen wins at the Qatar GP after a serious error by McLaren and the Formula 1 title goes to Abu Dhabi By Luís Henrique Costa
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Max Verstappen won the GP of Qatar of Fórmula 1 this Sunday (30), at Circuito Internacional of The driver of Red Bull took advantage of a strategy error by McLaren, which kept Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on the track during the safety car, and crossed the finish line in first place. With the result, the difference to the leader Norris fell to just 12 points, and three drivers reach the last stage with mathematical chances of the title.
The race was held at 5pm local time (11am Brasília) and ended under artificial lighting. Piastri finished second, while Norris saved fourth place after starting on pole position. The championship decision will take place next Sunday (7), at the Abu Dhabi GP, at 5pm local time (10am on Brasília).
Strategic error defines race
McLaren chose not to call Norris and Piastri to the pits when the safety car was deployed in the first laps.
The decision was motivated by the collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly, which caused a general yellow flag.
While almost the entire grid changed tires, the two orange cars remained on the track and lost decisive positions.
How was the classification of Mundial of Pilotos
The table updated after the Qatar GP has the following configuration:
- 1st Lando Norris (McLaren) – 408 points
- 2nd Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 396 points
- 3rd Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 392 points
- 4th George Russell (Mercedes) – 309 points
- 5th Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 230 points
The difference between the top three is just 16 points. Verstappen needs to win in Abu Dhabi and hope for bad results from rivals to win the fifth championship.
Race marked by early safety car
The incident between Hulkenberg and Gasly happened on lap 4 and completely changed the dynamics of the race. The race management activated an immediate safety car, allowing free tire changes for those who entered the pits. Verstappen, who had already stopped before, gained free track and took the virtual lead.
Piastri managed to recover up to second place with a strong pace in the final laps. Norris faced heavy traffic and finished fourth, behind Carlos Sainz, who completed the podium with Williams.
Performance of Brazilians and newcomers
Gabriel Bortoleto started in 15th and finished in 13th place for Sauber. The driver from São Paulo spent a large part of the race behind Lewis Hamilton, but was unable to overtake. Bortoleto has 19 points and occupies 19th place in the championship.
Among the newcomers, Kimi Antonelli scored again with fifth place for Mercedes. The 19-year-old Italian surpassed his teammate George Russell in the general classification.
Scenarios for the decision in Abu Dhabi
Verstappen needs to win and have Norris off the podium to be champion regardless of Piastri’s result. Norris wins the title with a second place, even if Verstappen wins. Piastri depends on its own victory combined with bad results from the two direct rivals.
The final race takes place at Circuito of
Complete race grid at Qatar
The final classification of this Sunday’s race looked like this:
- MaxVerstappen (RedBull)
The 2025 season ends next weekend with the most important race of the year.
