Lando Norris Eyes the Crown at the Qatar Grand Prix
Lando Norris has the opportunity to secure the Formula 1 drivers’ championship this Sunday at the Qatar Grand Prix. After a weekend with ups and downs at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where both Norris and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, were disqualified, the competition intensifies.
This situation adds a dramatic twist to an already tense and captivating championship, allowing Max Verstappen of Red Bull to get closer to the top in his quest for a fifth consecutive title. With only two races remaining, the excitement of the championship is at its peak.
Piastri won the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, but Norris still has the chance to secure the championship with a victory on Sunday.
How are the Positions?
Norris remains the favorite, although the initial 30-point lead over Piastri and 42 over Verstappen, before the disqualifications, was reduced to a 24-point lead over both drivers before arriving in Qatar.
This difference narrowed even further when Piastri won the sprint race on Saturday, reducing the gap to 22 points. Verstappen is 3 points behind Piastri and 25 behind Norris.
After the three drivers scored points in the Qatar sprint race, here’s how things stand ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix:
Norris – 396 points
Piastri – 374 points
Verstappen – 371 points
How can Lando Norris win the F1 title at the Qatar Grand Prix?
Norris is the only one who can win the championship in Qatar, given his advantage and he is the only one who has guaranteed his presence in Abu Dhabi, regardless of what happens this weekend.
F1 has 50 points available in the two remaining events.
Norris can win the title in Qatar with a victory in Sunday’s race. He must beat Piastri by four points and Verstappen by 25. Or finishing second ahead of Verstappen, with Piastri off the podium. Barring a major setback, if Norris doesn’t win in Qatar, he could still reach Abu Dhabi with the championship lead.
For Verstappen to maintain his chances in Abu Dhabi, he must be 24 points or less behind Norris. 25 points would go to a tiebreaker. Tiebreakers are done by a countback system. If the drivers who are tied on points have the same number of wins, second places are used, and so on until one driver has more than the other.
Piastri could afford to arrive in Abu Dhabi with a 25-point lead, as he and Norris share the same number of victories (eight) and victory in Abu Dhabi would make nine.
The F1 sprint race awards points as follows: 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 to the top eight finishers, while a Grand Prix awards points as follows: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 to the top 10.
Who’s in better shape?
Norris has been the driver with the best form in the final stretch of the F1 season, with podiums in Singapore and Austin, followed by consecutive victories in Mexico and Brazil. Despite the disqualification in Las Vegas, Norris had a good performance throughout the weekend, including a “pole position”.
Verstappen’s form since the summer break has also been notable, with four victories in the eight races following the resumption of F1 after August. In that series of races, he finished on the podium in the four in which he did not win.
Verstappen’s performance is due to several factors, with Red Bull’s upgrade at the Italian Grand Prix credited with making the car competitive again, although the season has underlined how good the four-time world champion is.
A fifth championship this year would probably be considered one of the greatest in F1 history, given the disadvantage he had: after the Dutch Grand Prix, he was 104 points behind Piastri, who at that moment was leading the fight for the title.
Piastri, for his part, has had difficulties in the last races. His previous victory at the Zandvoort GP on August 31 seemed to be an important moment, opening a 34-point lead after his teammate Norris retired due to car problems.
Piastri had relinquished that championship lead and hasn’t finished a race ahead of Norris since the Dutch GP. However, since his arrival in Qatar, he has led all four sessions so far and secured his third victory in a sprint race, all in Qatar.
Piastri will start from the pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix, with Norris second and Verstappen third.
