Max Verstappen remains clinging to the championship, but the Qatar GP could be a pivotal moment. After qualifying for the 2025 Qatar GP, Max Verstappen will start third on the grid, behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. This position puts the reigning world champion in a “do or die” scenario: to stay fully in the title fight, he must overtake Norris and finish ahead of his British rival.
Verstappen reflects on qualifying
In an interview with Mara Sangiorgio, Max Verstappen assessed the day:
“I’m not complaining, it wasn’t bad. The car has improved a bit, even if the package isn’t radically different, it’s still slightly better. Of course, we still have some limitations we would prefer not to have, but we have to live with them.”
The Dutch driver also acknowledged the challenges he will face in the race:
“There have been some limitations on this car for a while and unfortunately there’s no time to fix them now. Tomorrow we’ll try everything. I’ll aim for a good start and manage the tyres a little better because the understeer we normally have isn’t ideal for race pace, but I’ll try to limit the damage.”
Verstappen knows the difficulty ahead
Max Verstappen openly admitted that competing with McLaren over race distance will be difficult:
“In pure pace, I can’t compete with McLaren. We’ll need a bit of luck to make it happen, so we’ll see—anything can happen.”
The Red Bull driver is clearly aware of the challenge: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have strong consistent pace, and Max Verstappen will need to use every available strategy, from tough overtakes to careful tyre management, to remain in the championship hunt. Any finish behind Norris will mathematically end his hopes for the 2025 title.
One thing is certain: if Lando Norris crosses the line in front of the Red Bull on Sunday evening, the 2025 drivers’ championship battle will be over. Max Verstappen’s reign will end not with a bang, but with a quiet third-place finish in the desert night.
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