The Qatar Grand Prix began with an explosive start as the lights went out at Lusail. Oscar Piastri reacted perfectly and held the lead into the first corner, keeping control of the race from the very beginning. Max Verstappen also launched brilliantly and immediately put himself into contention by slipping past Lando Norris for second place. Norris tried to fight back into Turn 2, but Verstappen covered the line well and secured the position before settling into pursuit of the McLaren ahead.

By lap 2 Piastri had already pulled more than a second clear, giving himself breathing room while the field behind settled into rhythm. The opening laps were calm as drivers focused on managing tyres under Pirelli’s strict limit of a maximum 25 laps per tyre set. That rule promised a busy strategic race, and teams were already planning how best to use their limited stints.

The first major interruption arrived on lap 7. Nico Hulkenberg got involved in an incident with Pierre Gasly at Turn 1. Gasly suffered front-wing damage but Hulkenberg was forced to retire and the Safety Car was called. Gasly then headed straight to the pits for repairs, and almost the whole field followed him in for tyres. Only the two McLarens and Esteban Ocon remained on track, committed to stretching their opening stint.

Verstappen took the opportunity to stop early for a fresh set of mediums, and this decision positioned him strongly for the middle part of the race. Ocon’s day became more complicated as he was handed a five-second penalty for moving before the start lights went out.

The Safety Car pulled in at the end of lap 10 and Piastri controlled the restart smoothly. He accelerated out of Turn 14 at just the right moment, catching Norris slightly off guard. Verstappen sensed an opportunity and moved closer to the McLaren, although he continued to focus on careful tyre management while the two orange cars pushed their pace.

Through the following laps a strategic question began to build: had McLaren misjudged their long first stint? With both Piastri and Norris forced to pit by lap 25 at the latest, the team risked dropping into the pack behind Fernando Alonso, who was holding up a sizeable train of cars. It became clear that the next few laps would set the tone for the rest of the race.

As lap 25 approached, McLaren worked to protect their gap, and it was just enough. Piastri pitted first at the end of lap 24, switching to another set of mediums and rejoining in fifth place. Norris followed one lap later, also taking mediums, and emerged just ahead of Alonso. With both McLarens having pitted, the lead passed to Verstappen.

The second pit-stop cycle arrived around lap 32. Verstappen was called in for hard tyres, and Red Bull executed a clean, fast stop that sent him back out in third with clear air. Most of the field followed him into the pits, apart from the McLarens, who pushed their stints to regain track position. Piastri temporarily took the lead before making his own stop on lap 42, switching to the hard compound to attack in the final stages. Norris completed his final stop on lap 44 and rejoined in fifth place, giving Verstappen back the lead with a comfortable margin.

The final phase of the race brought intense battles. Norris, now on fresh hard tyres, began hunting down Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young Mercedes driver defended superbly, placing his car perfectly and resisting every early attempt. This defensive drive became crucial, as Norris needed to clear Antonelli quickly to chase Carlos Sainz for the final podium place. Sainz observed the situation closely and commented to his team that Norris would struggle to pass, allowing him to focus on securing third.

Meanwhile Verstappen maintained a strong pace at the front, extending his lead to well over 10 seconds. Piastri remained comfortably in second, unable to close the gap but also under no threat from behind. On lap 56 the race changed again when Isack Hadjar suffered a tyre failure, and moments later Norris finally forced his way past Antonelli to move into fourth. By then the gap to Sainz was too large to recover.

2025 Qatar Grand Prix results: