In what has been one of the closest title fights in Formula 1 history, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri have battled all season for the ultimate crown. While the Dutchman seemed to be out of the fight, a post-summer break resurgence made him a strong contender for the championship. Meanwhile, the two McLaren drivers have endured a rollercoaster 2025 campaign, with one leading the standings throughout the year. However, Norris has been at the forefront, holding the top spot for a longer duration as he sits on the precipice of his maiden title.
But this juncture comes with its own pressure, and given the result of the qualifying session, Norris seems to have crumbled under it.
Lando Norris Fails to Stand Tall Under Pressure at Qatar GP
Heading into tomorrow’s Grand Prix, Lando Norris holds a 24-point lead over Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, who are tied on points. The standings would look extremely different had the McLaren cars not been disqualified previously, but the cards have been dealt, and the situation is clear.
All three drivers recognized the importance of securing a pole position in Qatar, given the track’s difficulty in overtaking, as demonstrated during the sprint session. As such, it was a crucial session in the overall narrative of the 2025 season, and it did not disappoint.
The first session began with yet another Lewis Hamilton disappointment, as the British driver was eliminated in 18th place, replicating his result from the sprint qualifying the day before. A lack of pace from the SF-25, combined with a lack of confidence from Hamilton, became the undoing of the seven-time world champion.
With that result, it marks the first time in his career he has faced back-to-back Q1 eliminations since a three-race run in 2009. Moreover, when it comes to a grid-setting session for a racing event, it’s Hamilton’s third consecutive Q1 elimination.
The second session proceeded relatively smoothly, with the usual suspects returning to the garage for good.
MORE: Oscar Piastri Refuses to Play No. 2 as McLaren Weighs Backing Lando Norris for the F1 Title
Q3 was where the important drama unfolded, with Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris running for pole position. The two McLaren drivers had already topped a round of qualification each, but the Aussie driver had the higher confidence, given his sprint pole and subsequent win.
Having gained a reputation for staying calm under pressure, Piastri made full use of Norris’ mistake on his final run in Q3. He drove his way to the top of the timings with a lap of 1 minute, 19.387 seconds.
Meanwhile, Norris had to make do with second after a lap of 1:19.495, while Verstappen slots in at third with a time of 1:19.651. The Mercedes duo rounded out the top five as the final grid for the race start on Sunday looks like this:
- Oscar Piastri
- Lando Norris
- Max Verstappen
- George Russell
- Kimi Antonelli
- Isack Hadjar
- Carlos Sainz
- Fernando Alonso
- Pierre Gasly
- Charles Leclerc
- Nico Hulkenberg
- Liam Lawson
- Oliver Bearman
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Alexander Albon
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Esteban Ocon
- Lewis Hamilton
- Lance Stroll
- Franco Colapinto
All eyes now turn to the feature event on Sunday, where Piastri will lead the field as the race goes green. Norris knows that a race win will make him the world champion, and both Piastri and Verstappen will try their best to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Meanwhile, Verstappen also needs to finish the race ahead of Norris. Otherwise, the fight for the drivers’ championship will become an all-McLaren affair in Abu Dhabi.