Max Verstappen expressed confidence about his prospects of clinching a fifth Formula One world title after securing victory at the Qatar Grand Prix. With this win, he narrowed the gap to championship leader
Lando Norris to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi. Despite a mid-season slump, Verstappen's performance has kept him in contention for the championship.
The Qatar Grand Prix was mostly uneventful, except for a collision on lap seven between Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg. This incident prompted many drivers to make pit stops, although Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri opted to stay out. This decision later proved costly for them. Piastri finished second behind Carlos Sainz, while Norris ended up in fourth place after overtaking Kimi Antonelli on the penultimate lap.
Norris remains hopeful of becoming the 11th British F1 champion if he finishes in the top three in Abu Dhabi. He could still win if he finishes lower but ahead of both Verstappen and Piastri. Verstappen, however, remains calm about his chances of joining Michael Schumacher as a five-time consecutive champion. "It's possible now, but we will see," Verstappen commented after achieving his 70th F1 victory. "I don't really worry about it too much. "
It will be a three-way fight to the finish #F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/NKxjEH6PGv
- Formula 1 (@F1) November 30, 2025
After not winning any races from Monaco to Italy, many thought Norris and Piastri would dominate. However, Verstappen made an impressive comeback by winning five of the last eight races. This matched his total wins from the previous 30 races combined. Reflecting on Red Bull's strategy during the Qatar race, Verstappen said: "This was an incredible race for us; we made the right call as a team to box under that safety car and, yeah, that was smart. "
Verstappen also praised Red Bull's performance despite challenges during the weekend: "There was a little offset because of it all, but for us, it was a very strong race on a weekend where I think it was a little tough. But we still won the race and that was the most important. " His determination and strategic decisions have kept him firmly in the title race.
As anticipation builds for Abu Dhabi, fans eagerly await whether Verstappen can secure another championship or if Norris will claim his first title. The season finale promises an exciting conclusion to an intense competition year.
