2025 Qatar Grand Prix

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2025 Qatar Grand Prix
Race 23 of 24 in the 2025 Formula One World Championship
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Lusail International Circuit 2023.svg
Layout of the Lusail International Circuit
Race details [1]
Date 30 November 2025 (2025-11-30)
Official name Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2025
Location Lusail International Circuit
Lusail, Qatar
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.419 km (3.367 miles)
Distance 57 laps, 308.611 km (191.762 miles)
Weather Clear
Attendance 162,972 [2]
Pole position
Driver McLaren-Mercedes
Time 1:19.387
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Australia (converted).svg Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes
Time 1:22.996 on lap 44
Podium
First Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
Second McLaren-Mercedes
Third Williams-Mercedes
Lap leaders
  • 2025 Qatar Grand Prix

The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2025) was a Formula One motor race held on 30 November 2025 at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar. It was the twenty-third and penultimate race of the 2025 Formula One World Championship, and the sixth and final Grand Prix weekend of the season to utilise the sprint format. Tyre supplier Pirelli elected to enforce a 25-lap limit on tyres across the weekend, similar to the limit placed at the 2023 edition of the race.

Contents

Championship leader Lando Norris (McLaren) came into the round with an opportunity to secure his maiden title, his team's first Drivers' title since 2008. Teammate Oscar Piastri (McLaren) converted pole position for the sprint to a win, and also took pole position for the main race. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the main race from third on the grid, followed by Piastri and Carlos Sainz Jr. Sainz became the first Williams driver to score multiple podiums in a season since 2015. Norris finished in second in the sprint and fourth in the Grand Prix.

The result meant that Norris maintained his lead in the Drivers' Standings, but he missed out to secure his first title prematurely, heading into the final round with a points advantage of twelve and sixteen points to Verstappen and Piastri, respectively. The latter dropped down to third in the standings following Verstappen's second consecutive Grand Prix victory, that elevated the Dutchman to second in the championship. As a consequence, the top three in the standings went into the final round in Abu Dhabi with a realisitic chance of winning the 2025 World Drivers' Championship. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren scored 800 points, becoming the first Constructor to achieve that feat, also meaning that McLaren eclipsed the previous record from Mercedes set in 2016, after scoring 765 points across the entire season. Mercedes retained second place in the standings with 459 points, 33 points clear from Red Bull in third. Mercedes would only need eleven points at the final race in Abu Dhabi to secure second in the Constructors' Championship.

Background

The event was held at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail for the fourth time in the circuit's history, across the weekend of 28–30 November. [3] The Grand Prix was the twenty-third round of the 2025 Formula One World Championship and the fourth running of the Qatar Grand Prix. [4] It was also the sixth and final Grand Prix in the season to utilise the sprint format and the third time overall that the Qatar Grand Prix featured it. [5]

Championship standings before the race

Going into the weekend, Lando Norris led the Drivers' Championship with 390 points, 24 points ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, who were second and third, respectively. McLaren, who won the Constructors' Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix, led with 756 points ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, who were second and third with 431 and 391 points, respectively. [6]

Championship permutations

World Drivers' Championship leader Lando Norris had an opportunity to secure his first title at this event, and McLaren's first Drivers' title since 2008. Norris could have become World Drivers' Champion if he outscored both Piastri and Verstappen by two points over the weekend; the title could not be decided after the sprint. [7]

Entrants

The drivers and teams were the same as published in the season entry list with two exceptions; [8] Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull Racing held the seat originally held by Liam Lawson before Lawson was demoted back to Racing Bulls from the Japanese Grand Prix onward, [9] and Franco Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix onward on a race-by-race basis. [10] The Grand Prix marked Lando Norris' 151st race with McLaren, becoming the driver with the most races with the team. [11]

Tyre choices and limits

Tyre supplier Pirelli brought the C1, C2, and C3 tyre compounds (the three hardest in their range) designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively, for teams to use at the event. [12]

A limit of 25 laps over the course of the race weekend for each set of tyres was introduced. As the Grand Prix was run for 57 laps, each driver was required to change tyres at least twice. Unlike the 2023 race, laps run under the safety car or virtual safety car counted towards the limit. [13] [14]

Penalties

Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) carried a five-place grid penalty for the main race for causing a collision with Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) at the preceding Las Vegas Grand Prix. [15]

Practice

The only free practice session was held on 28 November 2025, at 16:30 local time (UTC+3), and was topped by Oscar Piastri ahead of his teammate Lando Norris (both McLaren) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). [1]

Sprint qualifying

Sprint qualifying was held on 28 November 2025, at 20:30 local time (UTC+3), and determined the starting grid order for the sprint. [1]

Sprint qualifying report

As with regular qualifying, the sprint qualifying consisted of three sessions, with the five drivers with the worst lap times being eliminated following each of the first two sessions. For the first two sessions, new medium tyres were mandated, while the third and final session allowed teams to use any set of soft tyres. [16]

During the twelve-minute long first session (SQ1), Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto (both Alpine) were eliminated, in addition to Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari). [16] [17] [18] The second session (SQ2), which lasted for ten minutes, saw the eliminations of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon (both Haas), Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg (both Sauber), and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls). [16] [17] [18]

The third session (SQ3) lasted for eight minutes, and determined the final order of the remaining ten drivers. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) took pole position ahead of George Russell (Mercedes) in second, and Piastri's teammate Lando Norris in third. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) finished in fourth and fifth, respectively, both recording their highest starting positions of the season. Max Verstappen, who found himself behind a teammate in any competitive session for the first time since the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli, Carlos Sainz Jr., Charles Leclerc, and Alexander Albon completed the rest of the top ten. [16] [17] [18]

Sprint qualifying classification

Pos.No.DriverConstructorQualifying timesSprint
grid
SQ1SQ2SQ3
181 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.2861:21.0051:20.0551
263 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George Russell Mercedes 1:21.4321:21.1361:20.0872
34 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.3981:20.9561:20.2853
414 Flag of Spain.svg Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 1:21.2761:21.2721:20.4504
522 Flag of Japan.svg Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 1:21.4581:21.1521:20.5195
61 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 1:21.1721:21.0361:20.5286
712 Flag of Italy.svg Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:21.5551:21.3761:20.5327
855 Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Sainz Jr. Williams-Mercedes 1:21.4381:21.1721:20.5428
916 Flag of Monaco.svg Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:21.6361:21.1901:20.6229
1023 Flag of Thailand.svg Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 1:21.7211:21.2121:20.78810
116 Flag of France.svg Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 1:21.3991:21.433N/A11
1287 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari 1:21.5261:21.494N/A12
135 Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber-Ferrari 1:21.6231:21.567N/A13
1427 Flag of Germany.svg Nico Hülkenberg Kick Sauber-Ferrari 1:21.3271:21.631N/A14
1531 Flag of France.svg Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari 1:21.7731:21.666N/A15
1618 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 1:21.807N/AN/APL 1
1730 Flag of New Zealand.svg Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 1:21.851N/AN/A16
1844 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:22.043N/AN/APL 1
1910 Flag of France.svg Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 1:22.112N/AN/APL 1
2043 Flag of Argentina.svg Franco Colapinto Alpine-Renault 1:22.364N/AN/APL 1
107% time: 1:26.854
Source: [19] [20]

Notes

Sprint

The sprint was held on 29 November 2025, at 17:00 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 19 laps. [1] [21]

Sprint classification

Pos.No.DriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
181 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1926:51.03318
263 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George Russell Mercedes 19+4.95127
34 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 19+6.27936
41 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 19+9.05465
522 Flag of Japan.svg Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 19+19.327 1 54
612 Flag of Italy.svg Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 19+21.391 1 73
714 Flag of Spain.svg Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 19+24.55642
855 Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Sainz Jr. Williams-Mercedes 19+27.33381
96 Flag of France.svg Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 19+28.20611
1023 Flag of Thailand.svg Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 19+28.92510
115 Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber-Ferrari 19+32.96613
1287 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari 19+34.52912
1316 Flag of Monaco.svg Charles Leclerc Ferrari 19+35.1829
1430 Flag of New Zealand.svg Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 19+36.91616
1531 Flag of France.svg Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari 19+38.83815
1627 Flag of Germany.svg Nico Hülkenberg Kick Sauber-Ferrari 19+39.63814
1744 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 19+46.171PL
1810 Flag of France.svg Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 19+1:09.534PL
1918 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 19+1:17.960PL
2043 Flag of Argentina.svg Franco Colapinto Alpine-Renault 19+1:20.804PL
Source: [20] [22]

Notes

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on 29 November 2025, at 21:00 local time (UTC+3), and determined the starting grid order for the main race. [1]

Qualifying classification

Pos.No.DriverConstructorQualifying timesFinal
grid
Q1Q2Q3
181 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1:20.2341:19.6501:19.3871
24 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:20.1571:19.8611:19.4952
31 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 1:20.4721:19.9851:19.6513
463 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George Russell Mercedes 1:20.0741:20.1861:19.6624
512 Flag of Italy.svg Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:20.5761:20.0841:19.8465
66 Flag of France.svg Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 1:20.6031:20.3501:20.1146
755 Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Sainz Jr. Williams-Mercedes 1:20.5201:20.2511:20.2877
814 Flag of Spain.svg Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 1:20.5981:20.2191:20.4188
910 Flag of France.svg Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 1:20.6811:20.3241:20.4779
1016 Flag of Monaco.svg Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.5641:20.3431:20.56110
1127 Flag of Germany.svg Nico Hülkenberg Kick Sauber-Ferrari 1:20.6301:20.353N/A11
1230 Flag of New Zealand.svg Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 1:20.5391:20.433N/A12
1387 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari 1:20.5481:20.438N/A13
145 Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber-Ferrari 1:20.6531:20.534N/A19 1
1523 Flag of Thailand.svg Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 1:20.6291:20.629N/A14
1622 Flag of Japan.svg Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 1:20.761N/AN/A15
1731 Flag of France.svg Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari 1:20.864N/AN/A16
1844 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:20.907N/AN/A17
1918 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 1:21.058N/AN/A18
2043 Flag of Argentina.svg Franco Colapinto Alpine-Renault 1:21.137N/AN/APL 2
107% time: 1:25.679
Source: [23] [24]

Notes

Race

The race was held on 30 November 2025, at 19:00 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 57 laps. [1]

Race report

Both McLarens started on the front row, with polesitter Oscar Piastri having a good start to cover his teammate Lando Norris going into turn 1. Max Verstappen, who started third, immediately overtook Norris in the first turn. Both George Russell and Isack Hadjar had poor starts and dropped to seventh and eighth, respectively, with Kimi Antonelli, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Fernando Alonso taking over fourth, fifth and sixth in that order. Several drivers were caught with black and white flag for exceeding track limits, including Pierre Gasly who went off track, damaging his Alpine. Nico Hülkenberg attempted to overtake Gasly around the outside of turn 1 in lap 7. Gasly ran into the side of Hülkenberg, causing Hülkenberg to lose his right rear tyre, suffering a tyre puncture on his own and triggering a safety car intervention. With the safety car deployed, every car bar the McLarens and Esteban Ocon made their first pit stops immediately, with Ocon pitting a lap later. The timing of this first pit stop would force these sixteen drivers to pit on lap 32 if they intended to run a two-stop strategy, as the tyres were only allowed to run for a maximum of 25 laps. [25]

During the first pit stop, a slow stop for Antonelli caused himself and teammate Russell to lose track positions to Sainz and Hadjar, respectively. Meanwhile, Ocon received a five-second time penalty due to moving before signal at the start of the race, and had to serve the penalty in the following lap. The three championship contenders (Piastri, Norris and Verstappen) all lined up in the top three in that order as of lap 11 when the safety car ended, with Verstappen being advised to nurse his tyres before Piastri and Norris took their first pit stops in lap 24 and 25, respectively, and maintained his gap to Norris. [25]

On lap 41, Alonso spun at the exit of turn 10, losing two positions to Hadjar and Russell. One lap later, McLaren decided to pit Piastri, putting the hard-compound tyres instead of the predicted soft tyres due to high degradation, followed by Norris two laps after that. Piastri rejoined the race in second behind Verstappen, while Norris rejoined in fifth behind Sainz and Antonelli. Near the end of the race, Lance Stroll and Hadjar retired, with the latter suffering a puncture. On the penultimate lap, Antonelli went wide at turn 10 while defending Norris, and Norris passed him to take fourth place. Sainz, having suffered floor damage that caused him to lose lap time, managed to fend off Antonelli and Norris. [25] Verstappen won the Grand Prix, his 70th overall and seventh of the season, equaling the race win tally of Norris and Piastri in 2025. [26] Piastri came in second place and Sainz rounded the podium, [25] his second of the season with Williams after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. [27]

Post-race

McLaren admitted they made the wrong decision regarding their strategy to not pit their drivers under the safety car. [28]

Following the Grand Prix, Norris retained his Drivers' Championship lead with 408 points. The gap between Norris and Verstappen decreased to 12 points, with Piastri 16 points behind Norris. The drivers remained in contention for the three-way title fight heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi. In the Constructors' Championship, Williams secured their position in fifth place with 137 points, their best finish since 2016, ahead of Racing Bulls with 92 points in sixth. Meanwhile, Ferrari and Alpine also ensured their positions in the Constructors' Championship in fourth and tenth, respectively. [25]

Race classification

Pos.No.DriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
11 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 571:24:38.241325
281 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 57+7.995118
355 Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Sainz Jr. Williams-Mercedes 57+22.665715
44 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 57+23.315212
512 Flag of Italy.svg Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 57+28.317510
663 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George Russell Mercedes 57+48.59948
714 Flag of Spain.svg Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 57+54.04586
816 Flag of Monaco.svg Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57+56.785104
930 Flag of New Zealand.svg Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 57+1:00.073122
1022 Flag of Japan.svg Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT 57+1:01.770151
1123 Flag of Thailand.svg Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 57+1:06.93114
1244 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 57+1:17.73017
135 Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber-Ferrari 57+1:24.81219
1443 Flag of Argentina.svg Franco Colapinto Alpine-Renault 56+1 lapPL
1531 Flag of France.svg Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari 56+1 lap16
1610 Flag of France.svg Pierre Gasly Alpine-Renault 56+1 lap9
17 1 18 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes 55Collision damage[ failed verification ]18
18 1 6 Flag of France.svg Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls-Honda RBPT 55Puncture6
Ret87 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari 41Pit stop issue13
Ret27 Flag of Germany.svg Nico Hülkenberg Kick Sauber-Ferrari 6Collision11
Source: [24] [29] [30] [31]

Notes

Championship standings after the race

See also

References

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