F1 next heads to Qatar for the penultimate race of the 2025 F1 season - and the final sprint weekend of the year - with the drivers’ championship title race fully reignited following the dramatic end to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Lando Norris, currently leading the drivers’ standings, thought he’d extended the gap on teammate Oscar Piastri thanks to a second-place finish in Vegas, only for both McLaren cars to be disqualified for excessive skid plank wear on both cars, with the minimum thickness falling below the 9mm threshold allowed.
That means Max Verstappen, who triumphed in Vegas, has closed the deficit on Norris to just 24 points and will be targeting a fifth world title over the final two races of the year. Piastri and Verstappen are level on points behind Norris, and with 33 points up for grabs in Lusail this weekend, the season could yet face another dramatic twist.
Norris is still the favourite to win the title and could seal the title, sprint race dependent, with a victory in the grand prix on Sunday. Two second-place finishes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would also be enough for the Briton, but anything less opens the door for Verstappen and teammate Piastri.
Follow live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent
Read MoreLando Norris hit by McLaren’s all-time F1 screw-up but one move can still save title dream
F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The penultimate round of the 2025 season takes place this weekend in Qatar
- Practice is on Friday started at 1:30pm (GMT); sprint qualifying is at 5:30pm
- Oscar Piastri quickest in FP1; Norris 2nd; Verstappen 6th
- Lando Norris leads the world championship by 24 points to Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri
- PREVIEW: How Max Verstappen clawed back 104-point deficit in F1 title race over just seven races
Start times this weekend in Qatar:
15:00 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Friday 28 November
- Sprint Qualifying: 5.30pm
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
Why were Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix?
16:30 , Kieran JacksonNorris and Piastri were punished for an illegal post-race car, with the thickness of the plank, which is underneath the car, below the required 9mm thickness as per the FIA regulations.
The skid wear is monitored so teams don’t run their cars too low to the ground for a performance benefit.
The stewards’ verdict revealed that the plank-wear was 0.12mm over the limit for Norris’s car and 0.26mm for Piastri’s car. McLaren argued that unexpected porpoising, when the car bounces violently up and down, limited testing opportunities due to rain on Thursday night and shortened practice sessions in Vegas gave them mitigating circumstances.
However, the FIA acknowledged there was no room in the regulations or in past decisions for anything other than a disqualification verdict.
Lewis Hamilton told to ‘calm down’ by Ferrari boss after criticising his own performance in Las Vegas GP
16:15 , Kieran Jackson"Lewis was there in practice and the pace was good, but starting from 20th is not the best way to have good results," he explained.
"For now, we have to calm down. To jump out of the car and make the first comments, it is always a bit too much."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ahead of Qatar GP:
16:00 , Kieran Jackson“Two to go. We carry a healthy advantage for P2 in the Constructors' to Qatar but are taking nothing for granted. Whilst we gained points on our nearest rivals in Las Vegas, the weekend also showed how quickly things can change.
“As a team we executed well and are focused on doing so again in both Doha and Abu Dhabi. We have the added challenge of the Sprint format this weekend and an imposed usage limit on the tyres too. Making a solid start in FP1, and having a good base to build from, will be key.
“We expect our competitors to be quick; warm conditions and high-speed corners haven't been our strength this year. We're focused on our process though and will look to maximise the package we have.”
F1 world champion backs Max Verstappen to win title after McLaren disqualifications
15:45 , Kieran JacksonJacques 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
Mick Schumacher confirms American career switch after latest F1 snub
15:30 , Kieran JacksonMick Schumacher has confirmed his switch to IndyCar for the 2026 season, having failed to carve a route back into Formula One.
The German driver, son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, had two seasons at Haas in 2021-2022 before losing his seat following a number of costly crashes.
Schumacher, 26, has competed for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) this year – including at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race – but has made no secret of his desire to find a way back into F1.
However, having been overlooked for a seat at new team Cadillac for 2026, Schumacher has turned his attention stateside and will race for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team (RLL) next year in IndyCar, after impressing in testing last month.
FP1 - positions 11-20:
14:50 , Kieran Jackson11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
13. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
14. George Russell (Mercedes)
15. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
19. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
TOP-10 IN FP1
14:45 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:20.924
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.058
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.386
4. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.480
5. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.579
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.580
7. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.685
8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.744
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.745
10. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.774
Oscar Piastri quickest in FP1
14:34 , Kieran JacksonOscar Piastri takes top spot then with a 1:20:924, 0.058 seconds ahead of Lando Norris - who did struggle for much of that session!
Fernando Alonso stays in third, with Sainz in fourth and Hadjar in fifth.
Max Verstappen, however, has work to do - he’s only P6 and is five-tenths off Piastri!
7-10: Albon, Leclerc, Stroll, Antonelli
Hamilton and Russell are only 12th and 14th, respectively.
Oscar Piastri shoots to P1
14:28 , Kieran JacksonThat’s more like it for McLaren!
Piastri goes top, 0.058 seconds ahead of Norris in second. Alonso is the man in third.
Verstappen down in P6 as the session draws to a close..
Norris vs Verstappen
14:20 , Kieran Jackson Lando Norris up to P4
14:18 , Kieran JacksonA key lap, one feels for Norris, just for his confidence.
P4, with Piastri only P10.
15 mins to go in FP1. Soft tyres are starting to come on, so it’ll all change now...
Max Verstappen on team radio:
14:10 , Kieran Jackson“Feels like the damping is really bad on the car, every time I’m off throttle the car is jumping a lot.”
Verstappen still P2... most are on their race simulation runs now...
Lando Norris on team radio:
14:04 , Kieran Jackson“Where can I find 1.6 seconds?”
He was P19 when that message came through. Now, it’s P11.
He’s still some way off though early on is the championship leader...
Top-5 in FP1 so far
14:00 , Kieran Jackson1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:22.165
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.207
3. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.367
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.423
5. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.457
George Russell still P1
13:56 , Kieran JacksonMost of the cars are back in the pits now after their first runs, with Russell in P1 and Verstappen now P2.
Norris has gone off again and, at the moment, is down in last place!
3-10: Hadjar, Alonso, Albon, Sainz, Tsunoda, Antonelli, Lawson, Hamilton
Max Verstappen on team radio:
13:44 , Kieran Jackson“Ah the steering feels really slippery suddenly, I don’t know what’s happened.”
Back down to P5 now is the Dutchman, with George Russell on top.
Max Verstappen quickest early on
13:42 , Kieran JacksonTimes tumbling early on here with the whole pack on hard tyres and as the track ramps up.
Still, no surprises at the top: Verstappen in P1.
Carlos Sainz is in second, with Oscar Piastri in third - Lando Norris is down in 11th after making an error on the final corner.
50:00 to go in FP1...
Alex Albon on team radio:
13:35 , Kieran Jackson“After this run, can we change my helmet, it’s got a weird visor.”
FP1 underway
13:31 , Kieran JacksonGeorge Russell’s Mercedes is the first car out of the pit-lane as we get underway with the only practice session of the weekend.
Plenty to get through for all the drivers, with qualifying and race simulations aplenty.
What will the stopwatch tell us?!
Five minutes until FP1:
13:25 , Kieran JacksonA very important practice session then for all 20 drivers - the only non-competitive session of the weekend!
Who will make the first statement ahead of sprint qualifying later on?
Thoughts of the chasing pack:
13:23 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen: “We have maximised a lot of our results. We gave it a real fight, we’re still in there, try and have two very good weekends.”
Piastri: “It can definitely still go my way but not everything is in my control now.”
F1 driver standings with two races left:
13:20 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 366 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 294 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 226 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 137 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 49 points
11. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 48 points
12. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 41 points
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 40 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 36 points
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 32 points
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 28 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
McLaren F1 boss finally explains ‘specific cause’ of double disqualification
13:17 , Kieran JacksonMcLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed that “extensive porpoising” was the primary factor behind the team’s double disqualification in Las Vegas.
The verdict has huge ramifications for the title race with Norris – who was 30 points clear of Piastri and 42 ahead of Max Verstappen – now just 24 points ahead of his rivals.
In a Q&A on the McLaren website, Stella explained what occurred during the Vegas race: "The specific cause that led to the situation was the unexpected occurrence of extensive porpoising, inducing large vertical oscillations of the car. “
More quotes below:
McLaren F1 boss finally explains ‘specific cause’ of double disqualification
Lando Norris reveals 'small expectation' of Vegas DSQ
13:14 , Kieran Jackson"There was some small expectation of it already, so it wasn't a complete shock or out of nowhere," Norris said in Qatar on Thursday.
"We were quite prepared for what the result could be, but I was quite fine.
“I left the track, we did our debrief, and we talked about what was good, what was not good and things we could improve on and be better for here, of course, one main thing.
"But otherwise, we treated everything very normally, and of course, it hurts as a lot of effort goes into every weekend from everyone, including myself, and it certainly made all that effort feel like it disappeared very quickly, but it is the same feeling for all of us.
"The mechanics, the engineers, myself, everyone in McLaren feels let down by what we had as a result, and we're all disappointed, but actually, I found it quite easy to move on, have a few days off and come to this weekend, so I'm disappointed, of course, but it was fine."
When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
13:07 , Kieran JacksonBy the end of the final sprint race of the year at the penultimate round in Qatar, Piastri and Verstappen would need to be within 50 points of Norris to stand a mathematical chance of catching him. With a maximum of eight points in the sprint, Norris now can’t win the title in the Qatar sprint race. The worst situation for both chasing drivers is a deficit of 32 points.
Therefore, the earliest Norris can win the title is the Grand Prix in Qatar on Sunday 30 November.
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. Put simply: If Norris outscores Piastri and Verstappen by two or more points in Qatar, over both the Sprint and Grand Prix, he will become world champion.
Aston Martin appoint new team principal after Christian Horner speculation
12:59 , Kieran JacksonAdrian Newey will become Aston Martin team principal next season.
Newey, widely considered the greatest technical mastermind of his generation, committed his long-term future to Aston Martin in September 2024 after his departure from Red Bull sparked a bidding war for his services.
Pressure has built on current team principal and CEO Andy Cowell amid a disappointing season and reported disagreements with managing technical partner Newey.
After speculation linking former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with the Silverstone-based team resurfaced, Aston Martin announced on Wednesday evening that 66-year-old Newey will step up to take charge of trackside operations from 2026.
Lando Norris hit by McLaren’s all-time F1 screw-up but one move can still save title dream
12:48 , Kieran JacksonComment by Kieran Jackson
The first sign that something was amiss, under the bamboozling lightshow that is the Las Vegas strip, came in the final three laps. Out of nowhere, why was Lando Norris’s pace dropping off at a rate of knots? Safely in second place, seven seconds behind the race leader, Norris eventually finished 23 seconds off Max Verstappen. Now, we know why.
Norris’s shock disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, announced just after 1.30am local time, has handed his F1 title rivals the biggest of reprieves. Ironically, the double McLaren DSQ – with Oscar Piastri’s race result wiped out for the same reason, excessive plank wear on the car – is a much-needed saving grace for the Australian. His deficit was 30 points; now it’s back to the original 24 points.
More below:
Lando Norris hit by McLaren’s all-time screw-up but one move can save title dream
F1 constructor standings with two races left:
12:35 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 756 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 431 points
3. Red Bull - 391 points
4. Ferrari - 378 points
5. Williams - 121 points
6. Racing Bulls - 90 points
7. Haas - 73 points
8. Aston Martin - 72 points
9. Sauber - 68 points
10. Alpine - 22 points
Max Verstappen reveals he still talks with Christian Horner after ‘every race’
12:15 , Kieran Jackson“Yes, every race weekend,” came Verstappen’s response when asked if he still talks to Horner following the latter’s departure from Red Bull.
Verstappen added: “He will send a message about anything; how the race went and keeping up to date with life. So, we are still in very good contact, absolutely.
“It is very important to acknowledge what Christian did for this team and the moments we lived through together; the first title in 2021, the rollercoaster of that year and emotions of the final race in Abu Dhabi. They are moments you will never forget.”
Andrea Stella explains McLaren's double DSQ:
12:04 , Kieran Jackson"The specific cause that led to the situation was the unexpected occurrence of extensive porpoising, inducing large vertical oscillations of the car.
“The level of porpoising was exacerbated by the conditions in which the car operated during the race, and it was not anticipated based on what we had seen in practice and based on the predictions of the car operating window in the race.
“Based on the data we had acquired in practice, we do not believe we took excessive risks in terms of ride height and we also added a safety margin for qualifying and the race, compared to practice, in terms of clearance to the ground.
“However, the safety margin was negated by the unexpected onset of the large vertical oscillations, which caused the car to touch the ground.
“The porpoising condition that the car developed in the race was also a difficult one to mitigate, as even a reduction in speed – an action that, in theory, should increase clearance to the ground – was only effective in some parts of the track but in others was actually counterproductive."
TOP-3 - WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
11:58 , Kieran JacksonThe gap is 24 points.
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 366 points
PREVIEW: How Max Verstappen clawed back 104-point deficit in F1 title race over just seven races
11:53 , Kieran JacksonIt had all looked so rosy for McLaren.
When F1 returned after the customary summer break, the papaya-clad team continued where they’d left off, claiming a one-two finish at Max Verstappen’s home race, the Dutch Grand Prix.
At that stage, it was considered a decisive day in the world championship. Oscar Piastri took a 34-point lead over Lando Norris after the Briton’s unfortunate mechanical breakdown, and, in what increasingly seemed like a two-way battle, was 104 points clear of Verstappen.
Just seven races and three months on, in an inconceivable turn of events, Verstappen is back level-pegging with the Australian and just 24 off Norris with two rounds remaining.
With all eyes on Qatar this weekend, we give a race-by-race breakdown of Verstappen’s comeback and why the momentum is fully with the Dutchman as the 2025 season concludes.
Full breakdown below:
How Max Verstappen clawed back 104-point deficit in F1 title race
Start times this weekend in Qatar:
11:40 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Friday 28 November
- Free practice 1: 1:30pm
- Sprint Qualifying: 5.30pm
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
Norris on pressure of title race
Thursday 27 November 2025 14:40 , Kieran JacksonLando on how he is dealing with the extra pressure this weekend 👀 pic.twitter.com/0HItIg2cGD
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 27, 2025
Jenson Button pins blame on Lewis Hamilton for F1 qualifying error in Vegas: ‘He’s lost focus’
Thursday 27 November 2025 12:20 , Kieran JacksonHamilton started P20 in Vegas after being hindered on his final push lap due to yellow flags, the Briton thought he crossed the line on the start-finish straight too late to start another lap, with red-lights flashing above.
However, replays show that Hamilton could have actually started another push lap, as he crossed the timing line with the lights still green.
Asked whether he could defend Hamilton for the error, fellow Sky F1 pundit and 2009 world champion Button replied: “No – it’s a tricky one. He’s not the first one to probably make this mistake, but the timing line is a different line to the gantry.
“You should know that because the time comes up on your dash. We all get told what our lap times are when you cross that line.”
Verstappen leads the street-race rankings for 2025:
Thursday 27 November 2025 10:15 , Kieran JacksonMax Verstappen rules on the streets in 2025! 👏
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2025
The final points are in after eight street races 💨#F1 pic.twitter.com/B9ugWkoQ3k
FIA press conference line-up in Qatar:
Thursday 27 November 2025 09:30 , Kieran Jackson2:30pm (GMT) - Ollie Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson
3pm - Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz
Max Verstappen after Las Vegas:
Thursday 27 November 2025 09:10 , Kieran JacksonThis is all we’ve heard from Max since that Vegas win - he is due to speak to the media at 4pm (GMT) this afternoon.
All in 👊 Outstanding performance @redbullracing, really proud of everyone 🙌 pic.twitter.com/T3sXA1xXGl
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 23, 2025
Start times this weekend in Qatar:
Thursday 27 November 2025 09:07 , Kieran JacksonAll times GMT
Friday 28 November
- Free practice 1: 1:30pm
- Sprint Qualifying: 5.30pm
Saturday 29 November
- Sprint Race: 2pm
- Qualifying: 6pm
Sunday 30 November
- Race: 4pm
F1 Qatar Grand Prix
Thursday 27 November 2025 09:05 , Kieran JacksonF1 next heads to Qatar for the penultimate race of the 2025 F1 season - and the final sprint weekend of the year - with the drivers’ championship title race fully reignited following the dramatic end to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Lando Norris, currently leading the drivers’ standings, thought he’d extended the gap on teammate Oscar Piastri thanks to a second-place finish in Vegas, only for both McLaren cars to be disqualified for excessive skid plank wear on both cars, with the minimum thickness falling below the 9mm threshold allowed.
That means Max Verstappen, who triumphed in Vegas, has closed the deficit on Norris to just 24 points and will be targeting a fifth world title over the final two races of the year. Piastri and Verstappen are level on points behind Norris, and with 33 points up for grabs in Lusail this weekend, the season could yet face another dramatic twist.
Norris is still the favourite to win the title and could seal the title, sprint race dependent, with a victory in the grand prix on Sunday. Two second-place finishes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would also be enough for the Briton, but anything less opens the door for Verstappen and teammate Piastri.