The 2025 Formula 1 season has delivered drama by the truckload, but the Qatar Grand Prix on November 30th may go down as the pivotal moment that set up one of the most tantalizing championship finales in recent memory. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen seized victory in Lusail, capitalizing on a costly McLaren strategy misstep that left both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri reeling—and the title race wide open ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It’s been fifteen years since Formula 1 last saw a final-race showdown with more than two drivers in contention for the crown. Now, with just one race to go, Norris leads the standings with 408 points, Verstappen sits on 396, and Piastri is close behind at 392. The Yas Marina showdown promises fireworks, history, and no shortage of nerves for fans and teams alike.
The story in Qatar was all about timing—and how a single decision can swing the fate of a season. The drama erupted on lap seven when a crash between Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly brought out the safety car. With Pirelli mandating a 25-lap maximum for any set of tires due to the circuit’s punishing kerbs and corners, the math was simple: pit under the safety car and set up two manageable stints to the flag. Every team, except McLaren, made the obvious call.
Verstappen, quick to read the situation, dove into the pits. "When they called me in, I had to look and remember that we were going into lap seven," Verstappen recounted. "So I was, like, OK, now we can go to the end (with one more stop). So then, yeah, I was a bit surprised when I came out of the pit. I was like, 'OK, I think this is a very good opportunity now for us to win the race.'"
McLaren’s hesitation proved costly. Norris immediately questioned his engineer, Will Joseph, about the call, wondering why he hadn’t been brought in when his teammate Piastri also stayed out. The answer, according to Joseph, was an attempt to keep their strategic options open for later in the race. But with overtaking notoriously difficult at Lusail, the gamble backfired. Both McLarens lost crucial track position and emerged from their final stops trailing Verstappen—effectively handing the Dutchman his seventh win of the season.
"Obviously not our greatest day," Norris admitted, a masterclass in understatement after a race that could have all but sealed his first world title. For Piastri, the pain was sharper. The Australian, who had led the championship by a whopping 104 points after the Dutch Grand Prix, saw his shot at victory slip away. "It's pretty painful," Piastri said, momentarily at a loss for words after crossing the line second to Verstappen and dropping to third in the standings.
Team principal Andrea Stella offered a measured post-race assessment, acknowledging the team’s miscalculation. "We'll have to assess some factors. Like, for instance, whether there was a certain bias in the way we were thinking that led us as a group to think that not all cars necessarily would have pitted. We will have to go through the review in a very thorough way, but what's important is that we do it as usual, in a way that is constructive, is analytical."
Stella also addressed the complex calculus behind the decision. Had both McLarens pitted together, the car second in line would have lost around five seconds in a double-stack stop—potentially dropping Norris behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Carlos Sainz Jr. Stella admitted this was "an extra consideration," but not the main reason for staying out.
Speculation swirled in the paddock about whether McLaren’s strategy was influenced by favoritism toward Norris. Team CEO Zak Brown, however, dismissed such notions as "nonsense" in a recent interview, emphasizing the team’s commitment to fairness. Indeed, McLaren’s recent history includes instances—like Hungary and Italy—where strategy calls have sparked debate, but the official line remains one of equality between their drivers.
For Verstappen, the result in Qatar was a shot in the arm. The Red Bull ace, aiming for his fifth consecutive title, has clawed back from a triple-digit deficit and now sits just 12 points adrift of Norris. "I know that I'm 12 points down," Verstappen said. "I go in there with just positive energy. I try everything I can. But at the same time, if I don't win it, I still know that I had an amazing season. So, it doesn't really matter. It takes a lot of the pressure off. I'm just out there having a good time like I had today."
The championship permutations for Abu Dhabi are enough to make any F1 fan’s head spin. Norris needs only to finish third—even if Verstappen wins—to clinch his maiden title. If Verstappen finishes second, Norris must place sixth or better to stay ahead. And if both end up tied on points, tiebreakers such as number of wins and second-place finishes come into play, with Norris currently holding the edge on runner-up spots.
Piastri, meanwhile, isn’t out of the hunt. A win at Yas Marina would give him 417 points, but to secure the championship he’d need Norris to finish sixth or worse and Verstappen second or lower. It’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened in Formula 1—just ask anyone who remembers the 2010 Abu Dhabi finale, when Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso lost the title after a strategic blunder, allowing Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to snatch his first crown.
McLaren, for their part, are still reeling from a tough fortnight. The double disqualification in Las Vegas, which stripped Norris and Piastri of second and fourth places, was a bitter pill, and the Qatar strategy gaffe only added to the pressure. Team boss Stella, who’s seen his share of title deciders as an engineer for both Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, knows the pain and the glory of these moments. "Racing is tough. Racing may give you tough lessons, but this is the history of champions," Stella reflected. "We are disappointed, but as soon as we start the review, we will get even more determined to learn from our lessons, adapt, and be stronger as a team. And make sure that this phenomenal, beautiful opportunity that we have to compete for the drivers' championship and be the ones that actually stop Verstappen's dominance in this period of Formula 1, we want to face it as the best of ourselves."
So, the stage is set for a finale worthy of the sport’s rich history. Three drivers, three teams, and one last race to decide it all. Will Norris hold his nerve and claim his first title? Can Verstappen complete a comeback for the ages? Or will Piastri spring a last-gasp surprise? The only certainty is that Formula 1 fans are in for a heart-stopping showdown in Abu Dhabi.
