Max Verstappen wins in Qatar to set up three-way title showdown in Abu Dhabi
Max Verstappen was victorious in the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, setting up a hugely exciting final race in Abu Dhabi next week. Lando Norris, who could have become champion with a victory, finished in fourth place. Oscar Piastri came in second, meaning all three can still win the title in the final race.
Norris will go into the final race in the lead. He has 408 points. Verstappen is second with 396 points, and Piastri has four points less than Verstappen.
It was a successful start to the race for Verstappen. The reigning champion started in third place, but he went past Norris in the first corner to climb to second place. Piastri held on to his pole position.
The whole race changed drastically in the seventh lap. Nico Huldenberg and Pierre Gasly collided, which led to Huldenberg having to retire and a safety car being deployed. The rules in the Qatar Grand Prix state that every team must have at least two pit stops in a race. Red Bull took advantage of the safety car and had their drivers come in for their first pit stop. McLaren opted not to do so, which proved costly in the end.
McLaren chose to bring Piastri in to the pits before Norris. The British driver came in after the next lap, with Piastri and Norris coming out in fourth and fifth place, which was a good result for McLaren.
The pit stops became the defining parts of the race, with very little action happening on the track. Verstappen had his second pit stop on the 32nd lap while Piastri and Norris were trying to pass Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli, respectively.
Verstappen had now taken both pit stops, meaning he could drive out the rest of the race. McLaren improvised and changed their plans during the race. Piastri and his mechanic decided to bring him in for a pit stop earlier than planned.
Norris came in on the 44th lap, with Verstappen taking over first place in the process.
Norris came out behind Sainz and Antonelli in fifth place. It took the British driver a long time to get past Antonelli, but the tires on Antonelli’s Mercedes started to degrade late in the race, giving Norris the chance to catch him and finish in fourth.
Verstappen and Piastri calmly finished the race in first and second place. Third place went to Carlos Sainz in the Williams vehicle. It is his second podium place of the season after also finishing in the top three in Baku.
For Verstappen to win his fifth F1 championship in a row, he would need to win the race, and Norris would have to finish lower than fourth place. Piastri cannot catch Verstappen if he wins the race. But if Piastri wins the race and Verstappen finishes second with Norris outside of the top four, then the Australian could become world champion.
