Norris failed to make use of his match level
The championship battle goes on.
Lando Norris arrived in Qatar with a chance to clinch the title there after which – and would have been in a position to take action by merely outscoring Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri by two factors.
But that process proved too troublesome. Norris struggled to match his team-mate, and at instances it regarded as if he was being overly cautious all through the weekend. Sunday turned out to be significantly difficult for the Briton – and never solely due to McLaren’s technique error. He lacked tempo himself and did not even attain the rostrum.
Each championship rivals not solely stored their possibilities alive however closed the hole, and Norris’ benefit over Verstappen is now removed from comfy.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
The Dutchman and Crimson Bull, for his or her half, capitalised on one more mistake from rivals to win one other race, already fifth for the reason that summer time break.
– Oleg Karpov
Piastri is again in type – simply in time
Piastri’s dreadful run has lastly ended – and simply on the proper second to maintain his championship hopes alive. Having misplaced an enormous lead and slipped behind his team-mate within the standings, the Australian arrived in Qatar degree on factors with Verstappen, who solely a few months in the past was greater than 100 behind him.
Qatar has all the time suited Piastri – he has been fast at Losail since his rookie season – and people who anticipated a comeback have been confirmed proper. Piastri was the faster of the 2 McLaren drivers all through the weekend, and he lastly began clawing again the factors he misplaced relative to Norris on Saturday by profitable the dash from pole.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Picture by: Lars Baron / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
The victory ought to have been his on Sunday as nicely, however McLaren’s pitwall determined in any other case…
– Oleg Karpov
Ferrari’s struggles flip into nightmare
Not so way back, after the Mexico Grand Prix, Ferrari was in second within the constructors’ championship.
Since then, the Scuderia’s type has been nothing wanting catastrophic. It has scored simply 26 factors in three grands prix, as many as Williams.
The SF-25’s behaviour is bafflingly unpredictable, which the drivers are removed from having fun with, and that prices a big quantity of efficiency. Nevertheless it’s not just like the automotive, in its present state, may very well be a winner anyway.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Picture by: James Sutton / Method 1 / Method Motorsport Ltd through Getty Photos
Each Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton appeared demoralised when chatting with the media this weekend – a daily incidence in 2025 so far as the seven-time world champion is anxious, but it surely was stunning coming from a resolute optimist like Leclerc.
In Qatar, Ferrari obtained its worst results of the season – excluding its double DNF at Zandvoort – with Leclerc eighth and Hamilton down in twelfth. The crew is now 44 factors down on third-placed Crimson Bull, and due to this fact mathematically assured to complete an underwhelming fourth within the constructors’ championship.
– Ben Vinel
Tsunoda fails to ship on his final alternative
As Crimson Bull Racing closes in on deciding the motive force line-ups for each of its groups, Yuki Tsunoda wanted a powerful weekend in Qatar. To not proceed with Crimson Bull – that ship has clearly sailed – however to remain on the F1 grid altogether by returning to RB.
The Japanese driver started the weekend strongly, narrowly beating team-mate Verstappen by 0.009s to take fifth in dash qualifying. In doing so, he grew to become the primary driver to out-qualify the Dutchman since Sergio Perez in Azerbaijan final yr – in different phrases, throughout 37 qualifying classes.
Yuki Tsunoda, Crimson Bull Racing
Picture by: Clive Rose / Method 1 through Getty Photos
Nonetheless, the assured model of Tsunoda didn’t final lengthy. He carried out adequately within the dash race, ending fifth behind Verstappen regardless of a five-second penalty for exceeding observe limits. However later that day, throughout the principle qualifying session, he discovered himself again in acquainted territory.
He lapped two and a half tenths slower than in dash qualifying and was knocked out in Q1 for the third consecutive grand prix – and for the tenth time in 26 classes since becoming a member of Crimson Bull Racing.
His climb from fifteenth on the grid to tenth on the chequered flag will certainly not suffice, and he now stands on thinner ice than ever. Will the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix be his final in F1 in the interim?
– Federico Faturos
Enforced pitstops aren’t the reply
For the second time this yr, Method 1 mandated a further cease for groups within the race. In Monaco, a two-stop technique was known as for to attempt to boost the motion, whereas Pirelli carried out a 25-lap cap on tyre stints in Qatar over security issues – successfully forcing groups into two stops over the 57-lap race.
In Monaco, it prompted chaos that was tough to maintain observe of and did nothing to enhance the racing. In Qatar, an early security automotive compelled nearly the whole area onto the identical technique – stopping on lap 7 and lap 32 to cowl the race distance.
Drivers pit throughout the security automotive
Picture by: Altaf Qadri / POOL / AFP through Getty Photos
McLaren was the one crew to not cease below the security automotive, and this left its drivers successfully preventing again with one hand tied behind their backs after shedding out to Verstappen. The stint cap took out all of the unpredictability and left McLaren with no choice to carry on in hope of one other security automotive, because it might need completed on one other given race weekend.
– Owen Bellwood
Images from Qatar GP – Race
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