The penultimate round of the 2025 Formula 1 season lands at the Lusail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix from 28–30 November — a sprint weekend that could decide the championship before Abu Dhabi. After a single practice session and a tense sprint-qualifying night, the paddock arrives in Lusail with title permutations in sharp focus and tyre strategy front of mind. formula1.com+1
What’s already happened this weekend
With this meeting running a sprint format, teams only had one practice session before sprint qualifying. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri topped that lone session, underlining McLaren’s continued pace and handing him a psychological boost ahead of the sprint. His teammate Lando Norris was right behind, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso close in third — a sign that several teams will be competitive in both the sprint and the grand prix. Reuters+1
Piastri went one better in sprint qualifying, claiming pole for the 19-lap sprint and edging out Mercedes’ George Russell and Norris. Max Verstappen — a two-time winner at Lusail in previous years — found himself down in sixth after struggling with balance and a bumpy ride in the session, handing McLaren a clear advantage going into Saturday’s sprint. That grid order tightens the championship story: with only two races left and 58 championship points still on offer for a single driver across the sprint weekend and finale, every finishing position matters. formula1.com+1
Championship picture — why Qatar matters
Lando Norris leads the Drivers’ standings with a narrow but crucial margin over his rivals. With McLaren having already wrapped up the Constructors’ title, the fight at the front is an intense three-way battle between Norris, Piastri and Verstappen — and Lusail’s sprint format means there are extra points up for grabs that could either hand the championship to a driver in Qatar or extend the fight to Abu Dhabi. The math is simple: a strong sprint and a strong main race here can swing momentum dramatically. The Guardian
The track: Lusail International Circuit — what to expect
Lusail is a technical circuit with a mixture of medium-high speed corners and a couple of heavy braking zones that reward good balance and tyre management. The surface can be abrasive in places and, on a sprint weekend, teams often have less running to dial in the car for both the sprint and the race. Pirelli and the FIA have also placed limits on stint length and tyre allocation nuances this weekend that will force teams into tactical two-stop strategies during the sprint or very careful management in the Grand Prix — tyre management will be decisive. Wikipedia+1
Tactical angles and team approaches
McLaren (Piastri / Norris): With Piastri on sprint pole and Norris breathing down his neck, McLaren can play both attack and defence. Clean starts, good tyre warm-up and avoiding traffic will be their priority — especially because the sprint result reshuffles the grid for Sunday’s main event.
Red Bull (Verstappen): Red Bull will be in catch-up mode this weekend; setup work to improve the car’s balance over bumps and long runs is critical after Verstappen’s handling complaints in practice. The team must also manage tyre life to deliver a strong Sunday performance.
Mercedes & Aston Martin: Both will look to disrupt the McLaren-Red Bull axis by optimising qualifying performance and starting positions. With Russell and Alonso both running well in practice and sprint-qualifying, they could be dark horses for podiums. Reuters+1
Weather, strategy and what to watch
Lusail’s evening race time means temperatures drop through the evening, changing grip levels and tyre windows between the sprint and the grand prix. Watch how teams alter camber, tyre pressures, and brake cooling from Saturday to Sunday — a setup that works in the sprint’s shorter distance may overheat or overwork the tyres in the 57-lap Grand Prix. Expect strategic diversity: aggressive early stints from some teams, conservative two-stop plays from others, and crucial undercuts off pitstops. formula1.com
Prediction & likely scenarios
Given McLaren’s pace this weekend, a Piastri-Norris one-two in the sprint is plausible, but the sprint’s aggressive racing can easily shuffle the order. If McLaren executes cleanly, they can heap pressure on Norris in the standings; if Verstappen finds a setup fix and climbs through the field, the title fight remains wide open into Abu Dhabi. Realistically, expect the Grand Prix to be a tactical battle where tyre management and pit-stop timing hand decisive advantages — a tightly packed podium fight is the most probable outcome.
Quick viewing essentials
Sprint: Saturday (19 laps) — be ready for high-intensity short-race action where track position is everything.
Grand Prix: Sunday (57 laps) — the main strategic test where tyre life and pit stops almost always decide the result.
The official F1 timetable and live pages have the full session schedule and local start times. formula1.com
Lusail has produced dramatic finishes in the past, and this sprint weekend — with its compressed running and title implications — is primed for more. Whether the championship is settled in Qatar or pushed to Abu Dhabi may come down to tiny margins: a perfect launch, a clean pit stop or a single overtake in the sprint could rewrite the championship script. Keep an eye on tyre windows, late-race pace and the midfield battles — those smaller skirmishes often decide who reaches the podium.
