F1 2025, Max Verstappen wins the Qatar GP: Key stats
What's the story
Max Verstappen has won the Qatar Grand Prix, keeping his championship hopes alive. The Red Bull Racing driver capitalized on a strategic blunder by McLaren to take his seventh win of the season. Oscar Piastri finished second while Lando Norris was fourth behind Carlos Sainz's Williams. The result means that the Formula 1 2025 title race will now go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi next weekend. Here's more.
Strategic misstep
McLaren's strategy blunder costs them the race
The pivotal moment in the race came when Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg crashed on lap seven. This incident triggered a safety car period, leaving exactly 50 laps to go. With Pirelli enforcing a 25-lap limit on tires, anyone who pitted at that time was forced into a two-stop strategy with another stop scheduled for lap 32. However, McLaren opted not to pit during this early safety car period, sacrificing track position and ultimately losing the race win for Piastri.
Race dynamics
Piastri's desperate attempt and Verstappen's lead
In a last-ditch effort, Piastri pushed for an early stop to catch Verstappen. He came in on lap 42 and fitted hard tires, but despite closing the gap to eight seconds by the end, he couldn't pressure the champion. "Clearly we didn't get it right tonight," Piastri said after the race. Meanwhile, Verstappen was pleased with his team's decision-making during the race.
Race highlights
Norris's close call and Sainz's podium finish
Norris, who could have won the title had he won this race, admitted that McLaren made a wrong decision. "We made the wrong decision, that was clear as soon as it happened," he said. Meanwhile, Sainz drove a strong race to secure an unlikely podium finish. He ran fourth in the early laps and capitalized on McLaren's error to take third place at the end of the race.
Sprint
Piastri claimed Qatar GP sprint race win
Earlier on Saturday, Piastri cut McLaren team-mate Norris' championship lead by two points with victory in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix. Piastri gained big time as Norris trailed home behind Mercedes' George Russell as the top three finished in the order in which they started. Red Bull's Verstappen moved up from sixth on the grid to finish fourth. He ended up losing one point to Norris in the championship.
Do you know?
What was the F1 2025 standings after Qatar sprint race?
Norris got 396 points after the sprint in Qatar continued to lead the 2025 F1 Drivers Standings. He was followed by Piastri, got to 374 points, having gained 8 points by winning the sprint race. Meanwhile, Verstappen was three points behind Piastri (371).
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What is the current tally among the trio?
After the Qatar GP main race, Norris still leads the show with 408 points. Meanwhile, Verstappen steered clear of Piastri and is 2nd. He has raced to 396 points and is 12 behind Norris. Meanwhile, Piastri has dropped to third. He has 392 points.
Details
Verstappen claims his 70th F1 race win
Verstappen has claimed 7 race wins and 14 podium finishes from 23 races. Overall in F1, the Dutchman owns 70 race wins after conquering Qatar. In terms of podiums, he has collected a tally of 126. Meanwhile, Piastri, who finished 2nd, owns 7 race wins in addition to 15 podium finishes from 23 races this season. Overall, this was his 25th podium finish in F1. Sainz claimed his 2nd podium of the season. Overall, this was his 29th podium.
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Team standings after 2025 Qatar GP
McLaren, who have already sealed the Constructors title, have 800 points this season. Mercedes are next with 459 points from 23 races. Red Bull Racing are third with 426 points. Scuderia Ferrari are next with 382 points. Williams are placed 5th.