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- F1
Follow live F1 updates at the Lusail International Circuit as the title contenders target top spot in qualifying
Kieran JacksonFormula 1 CorrespondentSaturday 29 November 2025 18:08 GMTComments
Close'I'm pretty used to it': Lando Norris ahead of Qatar GP with 2025 F1 title at stake
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Oscar Piastri took two points out of Lando Norris' F1 world championship lead after he won the sprint race in Qatar.
Piastri converted his pole position into a comfortable victory under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Lusail International Circuit to reduce Norris' advantage at the top to 22 points with 50 to play for.
Norris finished third, while Max Verstappen made up two places after overtaking Fernando Alonso and Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda on the first lap of the 19-lap dash to take the chequered flag in fourth. However, the Red Bull driver now trails Norris by 25 points. George Russell started and ended the 19-lap dash to the chequered flag in second.
Norris will be crowned champion if he outscores Piastri by four points, and finishes ahead of Verstappen in any position, in Sunday's main event.
Follow live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent
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F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix started at 6pm (GMT)
- Oscar PIastri won the Qatar sprint race; Russell 2nd; Norris 3rd
- Norris's lead is now 22 points to Piastri and 25 points to Verstappen
- PREVIEW: How Max Verstappen clawed back 104-point deficit in F1 title race over just seven races
Lewis Hamilton in early danger-zone
Surely Lewis Hamilton can find some pace after his last few qualifying nightmares?
Not yet. Down in P18 after the first runs. Time to spare though.
Current bottom-five (16-20) Ocon, Stroll, Hamilton, Albon, Colapinto
Norris off the pace too, down in P8.
1100 to go in Q1...
Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 18:07Ollie Bearman quickest early on
About eight runners so far, with Bearman on top.
None of the frontrunners rushing out though...
1400 to go in Q1.
Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 18:04Q1 underway
Big queue at the end of the pit-lane as we get underway with qualifying in Qatar!
The usual reminder: 18 minutes for Q1, where we’ll lose the slowest five cars from the rest of qualifying.
Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:59Norris - leader; Piastri +22; Verstappen +25
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:58Qatar GP qualifying
This could be the clincher in the F1 world championship!
It’s tough to overtake around the Lusail circuit, placing even more emphasis on qualifying this evening.
Oscar Piastri has the monentum this weekend but can McLaren teammate Lando Norris respond? And what about Max Verstappen - does he have one last throw of the dice?
Qualifying coming right up!
Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:54When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
Piastri won the sprint, closing the gap to 22 points, but Verstappen is now 25 points off Norris.
Therefore, the earliest Norris can win the title is still the Grand Prix in Qatar on Sunday 30 November. Norris will be crowned champion if he outscores Piastri by four points, and finishes ahead of Verstappen in any position, in Sunday's main event.
A points advantage of more than 25 points by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix would see him win the title with one race to spare.
McLaren driver Lando Norris following the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit. (David Davies/PA Wire)Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:47Lewis Hamilton at the end of the sprint race:
"Man, don't know how we've made the car worse."
He finished 17th.
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton addresses the media ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:42F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
Jacques Villeneuve has backed Max Verstappen to win this year’s F1 world championship after the dramatic events following the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night.
Championship leader Lando Norris had one hand on the trophy after extending his lead to 30 points over Oscar Piastri with a second-place finish in Vegas, with race winner Verstappen 42 points off the Briton.
Yet the shock double disqualification of both McLaren cars for excessive skid plank wear has thrust Verstappen back into the fight. With two rounds to go and 58 points on the table, Verstappen is now level on points with Piastri – a driver he trailed by 104 points at the start of September – and 24 behind Norris.
Full quotes below:
F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
Verstappen, chasing a fifth consecutive championship, now only trails Lando Norris by 24 pointsKieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:36PREMIUM: How son of a millionaire Lando Norris silenced naysayers by being on the cusp of F1 world title
By Kieran Jackson
Over the course of his career, there are two longstanding gripes that have regularly been used to discredit the achievements and skillset of Lando Norris, the McLaren driver from Somerset who is on the cusp of reaching the summit of single-seater motorsport this weekend in Qatar.
Full piece below:
How son of a millionaire Norris silenced naysayers to be on cusp of F1 world title
McLaren driver Norris might become Britain’s 11th F1 world champion this Sunday in Qatar. Kieran Jackson explores his journey – and how he’s rediscovered his form at the perfect time this seasonKieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:30Norris on Verstappen saying he'd have won the title already in a McLaren
“Max generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there is also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about.
“But it is also Red Bull’s way of going about things, an aggressive nature and just talking nonsense a lot of the time.”
Strong words!
(Getty Images)Kieran Jackson29 November 2025 17:22Newer1 / 11OlderMore about
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