With the last two rounds remaining of the 2025 World Drivers’ Championship (WDC), Formula One (F1) comes to the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi and Qatar set to be the center stage of this thriller. Only 24 points separate the championship leader, Lando Norris, and his competitors, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
The Qatar GP provides Norris with an opportunity to win the championship, while Max Verstappen is also in great form and cannot be ruled out. The sprint will add more twists, and Lewis Hamilton is searching for his first podium this year. Will Qatar be the first?
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Track and Weather
The Lusail International Circuit, built on the outskirts of the Qatari capital Doha, was originally constructed for the country’s first-ever MotoGP event in 2004 before hosting the first-ever F1 event in 2021.
It is a fast 5.4 km track with high-speed corners. It is also a physically demanding circuit due to the heat. The circuit layout includes aggressive kerbs, tire wear is high, and tires often get punctured. The main straight is one kilometer long, leading up to Turn 1, which provides a significant overtaking opportunity.
| Circuit Name | Lusail International Circuit |
| Circuit Length | 5.419 km |
| Race Distance | 308.611 km |
| Number of Laps | 57 |
| Turns | 16 |
| DRS Zone(s) | 2 (main straight and between Turns 2–3) |
| Fastest Lap (Race Session) | 1:24.319 – Max Verstappen (2023) |
To no one’s surprise, there is no rain forecast during the race weekend. The temperature can be 25°C during the evening sessions and can drop to 20°C during qualifying and the race on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Chance for Norris to seal the deal during the Qatar GP
Lando Norris came to the Las Vegas GP with a significant lead against his opponents and had one hand on the WDC trophy, but there was another twist on the cards in Vegas. Verstappen’s victory kept the battle open for all three contenders, including Piastri.
After the race, both McLaren cars were under investigation for technical infringements, as the wooden plank below the car was found to be thinner than the standard thickness of 9 millimeters (mm), which means it can give the car an aerodynamic advantage over competitors. Hence, both of the McLaren cars were disqualified.
The disqualification hindered Norris’s championship campaign, as now both of his rivals trail him by just 24 points. It’s not all doom and gloom for the British driver, as during the Qatar GP weekend, he has a solid shot at winning the championship.
Norris needs to finish just two points ahead of both rivals through the weekend, which means he needs to extend his current 24-point lead to 26 to be crowned champion. The option for the McLaren driver is to win the Qatar GP with at least a 1-point lead over his rivals.
If any of these things do not happen, then he will have to wait for the penultimate race in Abu Dhabi.
Last Sprint of the season
The Qatar GP will have the last sprint race of the season. The short race offers eight points, which can be crucial for the championship, and every driver and team will try to maximize their chances.
A sprint race also means less time for experimentation, as there is only one practice session to work on cars and for drivers to learn the circuit and test setups. Less practice time also means less data, which often leads to errors, so teams have to be careful during the competitive sessions.
Will Lewis Hamilton’s slump end during the Qatar GP?
This year has been very cruel to Lewis Hamilton. Since joining Ferrari, the Briton has found little to no success. He hit rock bottom during the Las Vegas GP, where he qualified last, the worst result of his career.
During the Chinese GP weekend, he scored a sprint podium, but in the feature race of that very weekend, both Ferraris were disqualified. Throughout the season, Hamilton has expressed pessimism while talking to the media. Things went so far that the Maranello-based team’s chairman publicly criticized the driver.
Hamilton is yet to stand on the podium this year, and only two races remain, with the upcoming Qatar GP being one of them. If he does not manage to get the podium, this will be the first year that he finishes without one. He will be eyeing the opportunity for that podium during the Qatar GP.
