Qatar Grand Prix F1: Max Verstappen Wins To Take Championship Title Fight To Abu Dhabi Final Race

Max Verstappen's championship charge showed no signs of relenting as he stormed to victory at the Qatar Grand Prix to close the gap to Lando Norris to 12 points.  

Verstappen knew he had to finish ahead of Norris to keep his chances of a fifth consecutive drivers' title alive, and he did just that as the Briton could only cross the line in fourth place.

It means the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will have three drivers battling it out for the top prize, with Oscar Piastri taking the chequered flag in second place on Sunday. 

Carlos Sainz completed the podium places, his second top-three finish for Williams, with Norris taking advantage of Kimi Antonelli's mistake to leapfrog the Mercedes late on. 

Antonelli was followed by team-mate George Russell in sixth, with Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10 in Lusail. 

Verstappen started third but immediately moved to second on the opening lap ahead of Norris and was able to capitalise on a safety car following an early collision on track. 

The Alpine of Pierre Gasly crashed into Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg on turn one during lap seven, allowing most of the field to make the first of two mandatory pit stops in the race. 

However, Piastri and Norris chose to stay out – a decision that ultimately proved costly for the Constructors' Championship winners as the rest of proceedings went caution-free.

Norris was able to claim a crucial two points late in the race when Antonelli ran wide, allowing the Briton to swoop in on the penultimate lap, but it proved too little too late in the end.

To win the title, Norris must finish second at Yas Marina, if Verstappen wins the race next Sunday, to become the 11th British driver to become the F1 world champion. 

Data Debrief: Mad Max stays within striking distance

Verstappen has not been second in the drivers' championship since the Japanese Grand Prix back in April, but the Dutchman has catapulted himself back into contention with a dominant drive here to put the pressure on Norris and Piastri. 

Indeed, the Dutchman has now won the last three editions of this race in Qatar, doing so at a single grand Prix for the 10th time in the competition, more than any other driver in history (Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have both achieved this seven times). 

He has also finished on the podium in his last nine races, only managing to do so more times between Abu Dhabi 2022 and Italy 2023, when he finished in the top three 15 times. 

And ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it is the first time since 2010 that more than two drivers are in contention for the title, when Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel overcame a 15-point deficit to overcome team-mate Mark Webber, Alonso and Hamilton. 

TOP 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 

5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

6. George Russell (Mercedes)

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Lando Norris – 408

2. Max Verstappen – 396

3. Oscar Piastri – 392

Constructors' 

1. McLaren – 800

2. Mercedes – 459

3. Red Bull – 426