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F1 next heads to Qatar for the penultimate race of the 2025 F1 season – and the final sprint weekend of the year – with the drivers’ championship title race fully reignited following the dramatic end to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lando Norris, currently leading the drivers’ standings, thought he’d extended the gap on teammate Oscar Piastri thanks to a second-place finish in Vegas, only for both McLaren cars to be disqualified for excessive skid plank wear on both cars, with the minimum thickness falling below the 9mm threshold allowed.

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That means Max Verstappen, who triumphed in Vegas, has closed the deficit on Norris to just 24 points and will be targeting a fifth world title over the final two races of the year. Piastri and Verstappen are level on points behind Norris, and with 33 points up for grabs in Lusail this weekend, the season could yet face another dramatic twist.

Norris is still the favourite to win the title and could seal the title, sprint race dependent, with a victory in the grand prix on Sunday. Two second-place finishes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would also be enough for the Briton, but anything less opens the door for Verstappen and teammate Piastri.

Follow live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent

What is the starting grid?

1. Oscar Piastri – McLaren

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2. Lando Norris – McLaren

3. Max Verstappen – Red Bull

4. George Russell – Mercedes

5. Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes

6. Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls

7. Carlos Sainz – Williams

8. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin

9. Pierre Gasly – Alpine

10. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari

11. Nico Hulkenberg

12. Liam Lawson

13. Ollie Bearman

14. Alex Albon

15. Yuki Tsunoda

16. Esteban Ocon

17. Lewis Hamilton

18. Lance Stroll

19. Gabriel Bortoleto*

20. Franco Colapinto

*Bortoleto has a five-place grid penalty after crashing into Lance Stroll at the last race in Las Vegas

When is the Qatar Grand Prix?

All times GMT

Saturday 29 November

• Qualifying: 6pm

Sunday 30 November

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How can I watch it online and on TV?

The Qatar Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 2:30pm (BST).

Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the Qatar Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help.

F1 driver standings (before Qatar sprint)

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points

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3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 366 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 294 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 226 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 152 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 137 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points

9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 51 points

10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 49 points

11. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 48 points

12. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 41 points

13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 40 points

14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 36 points

15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 32 points

16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points

17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 28 points

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18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points

F1 constructor standings (before Qatar sprint)

1. McLaren – 756 points (champions)

2. Mercedes – 431 points

3. Red Bull – 391 points

4. Ferrari – 378 points

5. Williams – 121 points

6. Racing Bulls – 90 points

7. Haas – 73 points

8. Aston Martin – 72 points

9. Sauber – 68 points

10. Alpine – 22 points

2025 F1 CALENDAR IN FULL:

ROUND 23 – QATAR (sprint weekend)

Lusail International Circuit, Lusail – 28-30 November

ROUND 24 – ABU DHABI

Yas Marina Circuit – 5-7 December