As the lights went out under the Lusail lights, the Grand Prix burst into action. Verstappen wasted no time, sweeping past championship leader Lando Norris to take second place, while George Russell suffered a difficult getaway and slipped three positions. Further back, Lewis Hamilton made swift progress, climbing three places to P14, as Charles Leclerc struggled to hold position in the midfield.
Drama struck on lap seven when Nico Hülkenberg, who had been running strongly on soft tyres, lost control and collided with the barriers, prompting the first Safety Car of the evening. Most of the field, including Verstappen, dived into the pits for fresh tyres, while both McLarens stayed out on their used mediums, inheriting first and second place.
At the restart, Piastri and Norris led the pack, but the looming threat of Verstappen on fresh rubber hovered behind them. By lap 24, Piastri made his first stop, rejoining in fifth, just ahead of Fernando Alonso. Norris boxed a lap later, emerging behind his team-mate as Verstappen cycled into the lead with Sainz and Kimi Antonelli behind him.
Piastri began his charge soon after, dispatching Antonelli to reclaim third on lap 30, while Norris found himself locked behind the Mercedes rookie in fifth. As the strategic picture evolved, all drivers except the McLarens had made their mandatory second stop by lap 33, leaving Verstappen poised to strike.
With 15 laps remaining, Verstappen closed to within a second of Norris, while Piastri still led by more than seven seconds, until McLaren brought the Australian in for his second stop. Piastri rejoined in third on hard tyres, just as Verstappen reduced the gap to Norris to only half a second. Norris pitted soon after, dropping to fifth.
In the closing laps, Antonelli delivered a standout defensive display, holding off Norris as Sainz was managing floor damage yet fought to retain his podium position. Norris eventually found a way through on the final lap, climbing to fourth, but it was too late to challenge for the top three.
At the chequered flag, Verstappen claimed a crucial victory, keeping his title hopes very much alive. Piastri secured second after a disciplined, strategic drive, with Sainz hanging on bravely to clinch third.
2025 Qatar GP – Race Results
- Max Verstappen
- Oscar Piastri
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Kimi Antonelli
- George Russell
- Fernando Alonso
- Charles Leclerc
- Liam Lawson
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Alex Albon
- Lewis Hamilton
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Franco Colapinto
- Esteban Ocon
- Pierre Gasly
DNF: Lance Stroll, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, Nico Hülkenberg
Catch the 2025 Qatar GP Race highlights here.
