By Joe Murphy
Max Verstappen scored a vital win in the Qatar Grand Prix, pipping Oscar Piastri at the finish line. The victory keeps Verstappen’s title hopes alive, with the championship battle set to go down to the wire. Lando Norris, the current Drivers’ Championship leader, could only manage fourth place, allowing Verstappen to close the gap to 12 points with only a single race left of the season next week.
Verstappen’s win was largely due to McLaren’s unexpected strategy, which was forced by an early Safety Car period and the enforced 25-lap maximum stint length on Pirelli tyres. The Red Bull driver took advantage of the situation, jumping Norris at the first turn and shadowing Piastri in the early laps.
A first-lap clash between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly changed the complexion of the race, prompting all drivers to pit for the first of two mandatory stops. Piastri and Norris opted to stay out, but ultimately found themselves behind Verstappen in the final order. Piastri rebounded to take second, having shown strong pace throughout, while Norris struggled to regain his rhythm after the pit stop.
Norris did manage to pass Kimi Antonelli on the penultimate lap, but it was too little, too late. Verstappen’s win has thrown the championship wide open, with Piastri now 16 points off the lead and Norris’ advantage reduced to 12 points heading into the final round.
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