Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix for Red Bull on Sunday to take the Formula One title battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to a season-ending showdown in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
Briton Norris finished fourth, behind the Williams of Spaniard Carlos Sainz, with his lead slashed to 12 points as Verstappen’s third win in a row in Qatar moved him up to second in the standings.
“Speechless”: Second placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri looked dejected following the race.Credit: AP
Australian Piastri finished second, after starting on pole position and winning the Saturday sprint, and dropped to third overall and four points behind four-times world champion Verstappen.
The top three drivers now each have seven wins for the season.
“That’s a very lovely race,” Verstappen said on team radio after his 70th career win. “Great job everyone.“
Norris can still become the first British driver to win the championship since Lewis Hamilton clinched the last of his seven titles in 2020. But having entered the Qatar GP weekend with a 24-point lead over both his rivals, Norris is now 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 clear of Piastri, who dropped to third overall.
“Speechless,” a dejected-sounding Piastri said. “I don’t know any words.“
McLaren’s gamble backfires
Piastri started on pole position ahead of Norris, with Verstappen starting from third.
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