Verstappen wins Qatar GP as title battle goes to Abu Dhabi with Piastri second and Norris only P4

F1 Race : Qatar GP

Just 12 points separates Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in the title battle after the Red Bull driver's win in Qatar.

Max Verstappen claimed a crucial victory in the Qatar Grand Prix from Oscar Piastri, with the title battle set to go down to the final round as championship leader Lando Norris could only finish fourth.

Verstappen's unlikely win was courtesy of McLaren's alternative strategy which came as a consequence of an early Safety Car intervention and an enforced 25-lap maximum stint length on all Pirelli tyre sets.

The Red Bull driver jumped Norris on the run to the first turn from P3 on the grid and shadowed poleman Piastri in the opening laps before a clash between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly at Turn 1 several laps later turned the race on its head.

While all drivers pitted for the first of two mandatory pit stops in the 57-lap race, both Piastri and Norris remained out on track, which ultimately put them behind Verstappen in the final order.

Piastri was able to comfortably rejoin in a net-P2 after his final pit stop having shown strong pace out front all race, but Norris was unable to clear the chasing Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli after his pit stop.

The Drivers' Championship leader passed Antonelli on the penultimate lap as the Mercedes driver ran wide, and means a 22-point margin ahead of the race has been reduced to just 12 points from Verstappen with Piastri 16 adrift ahead of the final race.

Sainz claimed his second podium of the season for Williams, having jumped Antonelli through the opening pit stop phase, while Antonelli ensured Mercedes moved closer to P2 in the Constructors' Championship with P5.

Behind Antonelli, Isack Hadjar's Racing Bulls was on course for P6 before a left-front puncture three laps from the end, which promoted George Russell, the Mercedes driver having lost three positions on the opening lap.

The top-10 was completed by Fernando Alonso, via a full 360-degree spin for the Aston Martin driver, Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, the second Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull).

Alex Albon (Williams) was P11 from Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) and Franco Colapinto (Alpine).

Esteban Ocon finished P15 as the Haas driver was handed a five-second penalty for a false start, finishing ahead of Gasly. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Hadjar eventually recorded DNFs at the end.

Ollie Bearman retired after serving a 10-second stop/go penalty over his car being in an unsafe condition, while Hulkenberg's race ended in the gravel after his collision with Gasly.

As the lights went out Norris from P2 suffered the slightly worse start amongst the title challengers, allowing Verstappen to move ahead before the long-right of Turn 1 and slot in behind Piastri, who comfortably held the lead from pole.

The Australian had already broken DRS range by the end of the opening lap and put his head down as the gaps between the leading runners began to expand almost immediately, with following proving extremely difficult through the high-speed corners.

Further back, Russell dropped three places after running slightly wide through Turn 2, as team mate Antonelli, Sainz and Alonso all moved ahead of the Mercedes driver through the opening corners.

Gasly in P9 also ran slightly wide, damaging the underside of his car over the kerb and gravel, and was put under pressure by Hulkenberg, who along with Hamilton were the only drivers to start on Pirelli's soft tyre.

The German had passed Leclerc into Turn 1 in the opening laps and tried the outside line with Gasly shortly after, but the Sauber driver was left in the gravel on the exit with his right-rear tyre hanging off.