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Norris can clinch the crown if he finishes on the podium in AD, while Verstappen can seal his fifth title by winning the race, in addition to Norris finishing outside the podium.
Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen. (X)
Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail Circuit, delaying McLaren’s Lando Norris’ pursuit of his first World Championship title and giving himself a chance for a fifth-straight title.
Norris can clinch the championship if he finishes on the podium in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen can secure his fifth consecutive title by winning the race, provided Norris does not finish in the top three. Piastri has a slim chance of becoming the champion if he wins in Abu Dhabi and Norris finishes outside the top five.
Since the summer break, Verstappen has won five races, whereas all other competitors together have secured only four victories.
Verstappen has staged a remarkable comeback, in the ongoiNg season, narrowing Norris’ lead in the standings from 104 points after the Dutch Grand Prix to a mere 12 points. Initially, it seemed that Verstappen was out of the race for his fifth consecutive title, but his strong performance in the latter half of the season has reignited the championship battle.
Oscar Piastri, Norris’ teammate, finished second behind Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz of Williams took the final podium spot, with Norris finishing in fourth place.
With this victory, Verstappen’s total points for the season reached 396. Norris leads the championship with 408 points, and Piastri is in third place with 392 points, making the final race in Abu Dhabi decisive.
After his victory in Qatar, Verstappen commented, “That was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under the safety car and it was scrappy, but we got there in the end.” The championship will be decided at the crucial Abu Dhabi circuit.
December 01, 2025, 15:59 IST
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