Lando Norris Secures Second Qualifying Spot Eyes Title in Qatar

Posted by The News Pulse November 30, 2025 Post a Comment

The Final Stretch: Lando Norris’ Quest for the Title

After 22 grands prix and six sprint races across five continents, Lando Norris stands on the brink of a historic achievement—securing his first Formula One world title. However, the path to glory is not straightforward. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, has taken pole position at the penultimate race of the season in Qatar, making it a crucial challenge for Norris.

This is a "squeaky bum time" for Norris as he prepares for the final showdown. Piastri, who had previously struggled against Norris, has found his form in Qatar, finishing behind him in seven consecutive races from Monza to Las Vegas. In the sprint race, Piastri claimed a convincing victory, narrowing the gap to Norris in the championship standings to just 22 points. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished fourth, falling 25 points behind Norris.

The math is clear: a win for Norris on Sunday would seal the title with one race remaining. If not, he will have to rely on Piastri and Verstappen finishing behind him.

The Importance of the Start

The start of the race on Sunday will be critical. Although there are opportunities to overtake during the race, the Lusail International Circuit is not known for its overtaking lanes. Norris's best chance will likely come at the first corner. Despite the pressure, Norris remains composed, stating, “Just the same as every day,” when asked about his approach to the race.

Piastri's pole position was well-earned. He has been more consistent than Norris throughout the weekend, although Norris delivered a strong first effort in Q3. A mistake on turn two forced Norris to abort his final lap, allowing Piastri to secure the pole by 0.1 seconds. Verstappen finished third, another 0.1 seconds behind.

Norris admitted that he had no complaints about Piastri's performance. “Oscar has been driving well all weekend, so nothing to complain about,” he said. “The first couple of laps always present opportunities, but after that, I think it will be tricky [to overtake].”

Verstappen agreed, noting that it would be tough to pass Norris and keep his title hopes alive. “We’re starting P3, on the second row. But realistically, it’s going to be tough,” he said.

The Mercedes Threat

Verstappen will have the two Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, behind him, who could still play a role in the title race. At the other end of the field, Lewis Hamilton will start 18th for Ferrari after failing to make it out of Q1 for the third qualifying session in a row, including a dead last in Las Vegas last weekend. This situation is concerning for the seven-time world champion, who may need serious mental strength to bounce back from this.

The Denouement

For now, all eyes are on the final race. Will it end on Sunday or go to Abu Dhabi? Norris is trying to stay calm, knowing he has a healthy lead. The pressure is mounting, however, as the competition is far less intense than in 2021, when Verstappen and Hamilton were engaged in a fierce battle.

Norris showed some irritation earlier in the day, reacting to Verstappen's comments about winning the title if he had been driving a McLaren. “He’s very welcome to say everything he wants, to be honest,” Norris said. “He’s kind of earned the right. He’s won four world championships. Max generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there’s also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about.”

Piastri, on the other hand, seemed confident. “Let’s go baby,” he said as he crossed the line to take pole. “Good session everyone. Mega.”

Qualifying Classification

Here is the full list of the top ten drivers from the Qatar Grand Prix qualifying:

Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1m 19.387s
Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:19.495
Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:19.651
George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:19.662
Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes GP 1:19.846
Isack Hadjar (Fra) RB 1:20.114
Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Williams 1:20.287
Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:20.418
Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:20.477
Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:20.561

Key Moments from the Day

Charles Leclerc spoke about the challenges of the race weekend, saying, “There is a bit of everything, unfortunately. There is mid-corner understeer, there is oversteer on entry and exit. It has been an unbelievably difficult race weekend just to drive and keep the car on track.”
Lewis Hamilton had a tough day, finishing 18th in qualifying. “The car felt a lot better, it just did not reflect that in the times,” he said.
Jamie Chadwick on Sky Sports noted, “Lando went for his run quite a bit earlier. He went for it earlier, did not have the grip he needed at turn two, and that was the end of the lap. But it is so close between the two of them that it could have gone either way.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised the drivers and engineers for their work, saying, “Oscar managed to improve in the second attempt while Lando aborted it because he was going off track. Well deserved by Oscar and hopefully tomorrow we can convert into a good result in the race.”

What Norris Needs

If Norris wins the race tomorrow, he will be world champion. If he finishes the weekend 26 points or more clear of Piastri and Verstappen, he will also be world champion. Currently, he is 22 points ahead of Piastri and 25 points clear of Verstappen.

Bottom Ten

Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
Oliver Bearman (Haas)
Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
Alexander Albon (Williams)
Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Esteban Ocon (Haas)
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

Top Ten

Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Quotes from Max Verstappen

“This qualifying was a little bit better. We were still quite far off. I felt happier but still some limitations that do not allow us to push harder. But at least we are P3 and it creates better opportunities. We know it is quite hard to pass around here. Realistically, it is a bit tough this weekend. Just not what I wanted it to be so far but we will see what we can do tomorrow.”

Thoughts of Lando Norris

“I just had a bit of understeer and was going to go off so I had to abort. Which was a shame, but it is the way that it is. Oscar [Piastri] did a good lap, drove very well and has been driving well all weekend. Nothing to complain about, just did not do the lap, and still P2 for tomorrow. The first couple of laps are always opportunities for everyone but after that I think it is probably going to be pretty straightforward for everyone too.”

Conclusion

With the championship on the line, the final race in Qatar promises to be a thrilling spectacle. Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen will all be fighting for their place in history. As the sun sets on the Lusail International Circuit, the stage is set for a dramatic conclusion to the season. Whether it ends in Qatar or Abu Dhabi, one thing is certain: the battle for the title has been one of the most exciting in recent years.