37+ min ago (998+ words) Max Verstappen won in Qatar ahead of Oscar Piastri Max Verstappen clinched a crucial victory at the Qatar Grand Prix, taking points off Lando Norris as he took the chequered flag ahead of Oscar Piastri. On a night of strategy with Pirelli's two stops in play, Verstappen claimed the win ahead of Piastri and Carlos Sainz. Lining up on the Qatar Grand Prix grid, Piastri put his MCL39 on pole position ahead of Lando Norris, but trailed his teammate by 22 points in the standings. Max Verstappen qualified third, 25 points down on Norris who he went into the race having to beat to stay in the title fight. There was a minor note of concern for Piastri as the pole-sitter arrived on the grid with McLaren filing down a small piece of his MCL39. The FIA had warned before the grand prix weekend…...

37+ min ago (998+ words) Max Verstappen won in Qatar ahead of Oscar Piastri Max Verstappen clinched a crucial victory at the Qatar Grand Prix, taking points off Lando Norris as he took the chequered flag ahead of Oscar Piastri. On a night of strategy with Pirelli's two stops in play, Verstappen claimed the win ahead of Piastri and Carlos Sainz. Lining up on the Qatar Grand Prix grid, Piastri put his MCL39 on pole position ahead of Lando Norris, but trailed his teammate by 22 points in the standings. Max Verstappen qualified third, 25 points down on Norris who he went into the race having to beat to stay in the title fight. There was a minor note of concern for Piastri as the pole-sitter arrived on the grid with McLaren filing down a small piece of his MCL39. The FIA had warned before the grand prix weekend…...

48+ min ago (411+ words) The Lusail International Circuit Rank outsider no more. Max Verstappen has placed himself firmly into the title conversation ahead of the Abu Dhabi decider. Verstappen rolled the dice by pitting behind an early Safety Car, and executed magnificently as he claimed a comfortable victory, trimming the deficit to Lando Norris at the top of the championship to 12 points. Oscar Piastri remains in the hunt after his Qatar P2, while Carlos Sainz scored a second Williams podium. Just like in the Sprint, Piastri got the perfect start to secure his lead, and Norris got swooped on around the outside, this time by championship rival Verstappen. Verstappen came in on Lap 8, swapping his mediums for another set of the yellow-walled compound, after the Safety Car was deployed. Nico Hulkenberg was stranded after colliding with Gasly at the exit of Turn 1, having attempted a…...

4+ hour, 20+ min ago (523+ words) Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri handshake with Max Verstappen in the middle Although McLaren hasn't gone as far as to deny Max Verstappen's championship comment, Andrea Stella says if he has the choice of drivers on the grid, he's "very happy" with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The F1 2025 World title could be decided on Sunday night when the drivers line up on the Lusail grid for the penultimate race of the championship, the Qatar Grand Prix. Norris heads into the race with a 22-point lead over his teammate Oscar Piastri, with Verstappen 25 off the pace. It means Verstappen has to outscore Norris under the lights at Lusail to keep his championship hopes alive. But if you ask the Red Bull driver, the title should've been decided a long time ago. Although Red Bull wrapped up the Constructors' title in Singapore,…...

5+ hour, 21+ min ago (760+ words) Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda all are potentials for Red Bull's 2026 driver line-up. Lining up on the grid for the Qatar Grand Prix, the final race before Red Bull announces its F1 2026 drivers, only one of three candidates is smiling. Red Bull will decide after this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix its line-up for its two Formula 1 teams; Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. And it's a deadline that is set in stone. "We will announce our line-up immediately after Qatar," Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said build-up to the Lusail race. Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko stressed this when he spoke with PlanetF1.com and other media outlets at the track, "How often we said we will decide after this weekend, so next week we know." The three candidates, fighting over two seats, have one race " tonight's Qatar…...

5+ hour, 51+ min ago (825+ words) Lewis Hamilton speaks with the media while Q3 is on the go Former Mercedes chief strategist and today's Williams team boss James Vowles says Lewis Hamilton's double Q1 elimination at the Qatar weekend is "odd" as in general he's been on the pace. Hamilton's first season with Ferrari has been blighted by erratic fortunes, with steps forward seemingly followed by a step and a half backwards. Of late, it has been more of the latter. Although Hamilton seemed to make a breakthrough with his SF-25's one-lap race in a top-six run from Singapore to Mexico that culminated in a season-high qualifying of P3 in Mexico, he was again outside of the top ten in Sao Paulo in 13th place before suffering a Q1 elimination in Las Vegas. The seven-time World Champion was the slowest of all in Sin City, over two seconds shy of…...

5+ hour, 51+ min ago (825+ words) Lewis Hamilton speaks with the media while Q3 is on the go Former Mercedes chief strategist and today's Williams team boss James Vowles says Lewis Hamilton's double Q1 elimination at the Qatar weekend is "odd" as in general he's been on the pace. Hamilton's first season with Ferrari has been blighted by erratic fortunes, with steps forward seemingly followed by a step and a half backwards. Of late, it has been more of the latter. Although Hamilton seemed to make a breakthrough with his SF-25's one-lap race in a top-six run from Singapore to Mexico that culminated in a season-high qualifying of P3 in Mexico, he was again outside of the top ten in Sao Paulo in 13th place before suffering a Q1 elimination in Las Vegas. The seven-time World Champion was the slowest of all in Sin City, over two seconds shy of…...

7+ hour, 5+ min ago (833+ words) Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri McLaren CEO Zak Brown has again insisted that as long as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, separated by 22 points, can win the World title, McLaren will not impose team orders in Qatar. Even if it means that Max Verstappen, a long shot at 25 points off the pace and having to beat Norris on Sunday night to stay in the fight, could yet pip them both to the F1 2025 title. Throughout the first part of this campaign, McLaren was in the position of sitting 1-2 in the Drivers" Championship and only strengthened that after the summer break when Oscar Piastri surged 104 points clear of Verstappen while Norris, despite losing ground through a DNF, was still 70 points ahead. The 1-2 was on, the only question was which of the teammates would win the title. But seven races on from…...

7+ hour, 50+ min ago (811+ words) Martin Brundle said "one or two" people thought of walking out of the drivers' and FIA meeting in Qatar All 20 Formula 1 drivers met with the FIA stewards in Qatar for an important'annual "Driving Standards Review" meeting. According to Martin Brundle, not every driver found it to be a worthwhile experience. Brundle, the former racer turned Sky F1 commentator and pundit, said he had "spoke to one or two people who thought about walking out" of the meeting. Oscar Piastri and George Russell were not among those alleged unimpressed drivers, as both called the meeting "very productive". With the driving standards guidelines a key topic, the FIA clarified that situation. There has been some rumblings of driver discontent when it comes to the applications of penalties in F1 2025. A key example discussed in the Qatar meeting with governing body the FIA was Oscar…...

8+ hour, 50+ min ago (466+ words) Not a fallout, just a "BS" blame game George Russell and Lando Norris had a moment in the media pen after qualifying in Qatar when the Mercedes driver questioned his compatriot over a claim that Norris blamed Russell for losing out on pole position. On a weekend in which he could be crowned Formula 1 World Champion, Norris was sitting on provisional pole at the Lusail International Circuit when the top ten ventured out of the pits for a second and flying lap. In the mad dash that was the final few minutes, Norris overtook Russell on the start-finish straight before starting his final flying lap. However, a mistake at Turn 2 meant he backed off and pitted without setting a lap time. He lost pole position to his teammate Oscar Piastri and will line up second on the grid ahead of…...