Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix after McLaren misjudged key pit stop decisions, keeping the title fight alive. Yuki Tsunoda climbed from fifteenth to tenth, taking an important point in a race shaped by strict tyre limits and an early Safety Car.
McLaren fears that tyre durability issues seen at the Qatar Grand Prix could influence the title fight, with sharp gravel, rising pressures and unexpected vibrations creating unpredictable race conditions.
Ferrari endured another punishing weekend in Qatar, with Lewis Hamilton eliminated in Q1 again and Charles Leclerc labelling the SF 25’s pace as “zero performance” after a difficult sprint and qualifying session.
Max Verstappen qualified third in Qatar and says McLaren’s speed is so strong that matching their pace would require “a shortcut.” He must finish ahead of Lando Norris to keep the title race alive.
Max Verstappen finished sixth in sprint qualifying at Losail after severe bouncing and persistent understeer left the RB21 beyond his control. Yuki Tsunoda beat him for the first time in a qualifying format, adding pressure before the sprint.
Four cars drop to the pit lane, Tsunoda starts ahead of Verstappen, and teams lean toward a medium-tyre sprint as clear skies set the tone for the night race.
Oscar Piastri topped the only practice session in Qatar, while Red Bull failed to extract performance from the soft tyres. Max Verstappen placed sixth and Yuki Tsunoda fell to thirteenth after traffic and poor sector one execution.
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin does not need more senior figures despite speculation around Christian Horner. His comments reflect trust in the current leadership and concern that Adrian Newey must be allowed to focus on the work that actually moves performance forward.












