F1’s final triple-header sequence of 2025 continues with the Qatar Grand Prix night race. Need to Know is your all-in-one guide for the weekend through various statistics, driving pointers, strategy tips and more.
With the Sprint format in play for a final time this year, FP1 and Sprint Qualifying will take place on Friday, November 28, followed by the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday, November 29, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, December 30.
The driver’s verdict
Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Qatar is full of medium-speed corners and flowing sections. Given that it’s not a huge braking circuit, it’s just about finding the optimum downforce level for the car.
There’s one good overtaking opportunity, and that comes down the lengthy start/finish straight.
The kerbs can be quite punishing, so drivers will need to be careful there, but conversely, as it’s a night race, that will help the tyres a little bit compared to the afternoon heat.
Tyre and strategy insight
“In Qatar, a limit will be introduced for the number of laps that each set of tyres can cover over the course of the whole race weekend,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview.
“The decision, taken in agreement with the FIA and Formula 1 and discussed in regular meetings with the teams, is confirmed by Pirelli through the usual technical document containing event specific prescriptions sent out two weeks prior to each Grand Prix.
“Every set of tyres supplied to the teams at the start of the race weekend can cover a maximum of 25 laps of the Lusail track, which is very demanding on tyres in terms of energy, thermal stress and wear.
“The laps will be counted cumulatively across all track sessions, including laps run under the Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car. Laps to the grid and formation laps and those completed after the chequered flag in the Sprint and the Grand Prix will not be included in the count.
“As the Qatar Grand Prix is run over 57 laps, each driver will inevitably have to change tyres at least twice. Before the start of the Grand Prix, Pirelli will inform the teams how many laps are still available for each set.
“This measure has been deemed necessary, following analysis of the tyres used in 2024. Last year, several tyres, particularly the left front, had reached the maximum wear level. These conditions, combined with the high lateral energy had increased the structural fatigue of the construction.”
Current form
Las Vegas brought a huge twist in the 2025 title race, with Lando Norris initially moving one step closer to securing the crown, only for both McLarens to be disqualified post-race over excessive plank wear.
Had Norris kept his P2 finish, he would have been 30 points clear of team mate Oscar Piastri and 42 ahead of Red Bull rival Max Verstappen going into the final two rounds. Instead, he is a much-reduced 24 points ahead of Verstappen and Piastri, who are now equal on points.
With 58 points still up for grabs across this weekend in Qatar (which features the Sprint format) and Abu Dhabi, it is still very much a three-way fight – and very much all to play for.
As touched on above, Verstappen has form at the Lusail International Circuit, finishing second in the 2021 Grand Prix and triumphing in 2023 and 2024, though McLaren and Piastri have won the Sprints here over the last two years.
While there will be plenty of eyes on the Drivers’ Championship, and who out of Norris, Piastri and Verstappen emerges on top, there are similarly fierce scraps to be settled by various teams.
Mercedes now hold the advantage in the race for P2, sitting 40 points up on Red Bull and a further 13 up on Red Bull, while just 22 points cover Racing Bulls in P6 to Kick Sauber in P9.
A long list of reasons to stay tuned to the action, then, with F1.com on hand to bring you all the coverage and reaction from every twist and turn…
Iconic moment
As is the case this year, Qatar played host to the Sprint when it made its return to the calendar in 2023 following a one-year hiatus.
The star of the 100km dash was undoubtedly Oscar Piastri, with the Australian taking pole position for the event before making a strong start off the line.
While he faced pressure from George Russell at the restart following a Safety Car period – allowing the Mercedes to ultimately take the lead – Piastri was the one to benefit from a later Safety Car deployment as he surged back into P1 when the action resumed.
From there the McLaren man kept his cool in humid conditions to claim his first victory of any kind in Formula 1.
Relive that eventful Qatar Sprint in the video player below…
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-02-19T185356.642.webp?ssl=1 "What we learned from Day 2 of the second 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain")
/16x9%20single%20image%20-%202026-02-18T155544.362.webp?ssl=1 "George Russell tops Day 1 of second pre-season test in Bahrain ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc")
