The Qatar Grand Prix was meant to tidy up the championship narrative. Instead, it hurled petrol on it. Max Verstappen snatched a crucial victory under the lights, Oscar Piastri chased him home like a man late for a flight, and Lando Norris could only manage fourth — slashing his once-comfortable championship lead to just 12 points heading into Abu Dhabi. One race left, one title on the line, and suddenly nothing feels safe.
McLaren Gambles — Red Bull Profits
Verstappen’s win came not through raw dominance, but strategy — the kind that will keep McLaren’s pit wall awake for weeks. An early Safety Car and the FIA’s enforced 25-lap tyre stint limit pushed teams into awkward decisions, and McLaren chose the bold route. Bold, however, doesn’t always mean clever.
Verstappen launched cleanly from P3, sweeping past Norris into Turn 1 before tucking himself neatly behind pole-sitter Piastri. But when the race neutralised after Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly found the Qatari gravel the hard way, the dominoes began to fall. Most drivers boxed. The McLarens did not. And that, in a nutshell, was that.
When Piastri and Norris eventually pitted, Verstappen — already two stints deep — rolled into the lead. Piastri rejoined strongly and chased hard, but the win was already spoken for. Norris, meanwhile, found himself bottled behind Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli, losing precious time and precious points. He passed Antonelli late, but not late enough.
From a 22-point cushion to just 12 — the championship now breathes fire.
Podiums, Punctures & A Full Alonso Pirouette
Carlos Sainz delivered his second podium of the year with a performance Williams will frame and hang above reception. Antonelli secured P5 for Mercedes, while Isack Hadjar looked set for a brilliant sixth — until a puncture three laps from the finish turned his day to dust and handed George Russell a lifeline.
Fernando Alonso, refusing to be boring, executed a spectacular full 360° spin and still finished in the points. Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson did the job, Tsunoda added the final point, and everyone behind them spent the night wondering how Qatar became a tyre-limit chess match rather than a Grand Prix.
Further down the order, retirements came thick: Bearman after a stop/go penalty, Hülkenberg after that early clash, and Stroll and Hadjar bowing out late.
And Now — The Only Race That Matters
So here we are. One round left. Norris leads by just 12. Piastri lurks 16 behind. Verstappen, suddenly, unbelievably, has dragged this title fight into a straight-shooting finale in Abu Dhabi.
No dropped points. No tyre loopholes. No what-ifs.
Just speed — and a championship that could go to any of three drivers.