How Lando Norris Can Clinch His First F1 Championship at the Qatar Grand Prix
Qatar: The 2025 Formula One season approaches its climax this weekend in Qatar, where Lando Norris has the opportunity to secure his first-ever world championship. With only two races left on the calendar, Norris stands poised to claim the title if circumstances align favorably. Despite mounting pressure from Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri following last weekend’s dramatic events in Las Vegas, the British driver remains focused on capturing his maiden world crown. Here’s everything you need to know about Norris’s path to championship glory in Qatar.
Current championship standings
As of Friday, November 28, Norris sits atop the championship table with 390 points. Both Piastri and Verstappen share second place with 366 points each. Verstappen received an unexpected boost in the title fight after both McLaren drivers were excluded from the Las Vegas GP results. Technical inspectors found that the skid wear on both McLaren MCL39 cars measured below the mandatory 9mm minimum thickness, resulting in disqualifications for Norris and Piastri.
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Norris’s championship scenarios
Under current circumstances, both Verstappen and Piastri can accumulate a maximum of 424 points by season’s end. This means Norris requires 425 points to guarantee the championship regardless of his rivals’ results. Therefore, he needs to add 35 points to his tally to mathematically secure the title, even if his closest competitors score maximum points in the remaining races.
However, Norris could wrap up the championship as early as this weekend in Qatar depending on how results unfold.
Should Norris establish a 26-point or greater advantage over both Piastri and Verstappen by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix, he will clinch the championship.
Winning both the Qatar sprint race and the main Grand Prix would give Norris 423 points, sufficient to secure the 2025 F1 title. Alternatively, if Norris collects at least three points from Saturday’s sprint race and then wins Sunday’s main race, he will become champion in Qatar even if his nearest challenger finishes second in the Grand Prix while winning the sprint.