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While there has been plenty of doubt about where Max Verstappen will end up before his Formula 1 career is done, Red Bulls CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is less speculative."I ‌feel there is a huge mutual appreciation and ‌loyalty," Mintzlaff said ‍to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf about Red Bull's top driver. "For me there is ⁠no doubt that Max Verstappen will ⁠end his career at Red Bull."Verstappen, 28, was the four-time ‍defending F1 drivers' champion heading into the 2025 season. He got off to an unexpected slow start and did not exactly squash rumors that he might leave his team through performance clauses in his contract.At the end of July, though, Verstappen said he was staying with Red Bull through the ‌2026 season, ending speculation that he might depart to drive for Mercedes.The commitment was most notable on the track, with Verstappen winning six ‍of the final nine races ⁠after winning just ‌twice over the first 15 races. The late push nearly ended up in a fifth consecutive drivers title, before Lando Norris won his first title in his seventh season."What is important to say is that I am not afraid of any performance clause in his contract," Mintzlaff said. "What is most important for an athlete is to see that everyone in the team gives everything for him. And I think Max has been impressed by the way the ​results and the atmosphere ‌in the team have turned this year."Verstappen remains under contract with Red Bull through 2028 ⁠but said he ‍will still walk away early pending F1's decision on new technical regulations with engines and car setups."I've hated this car at times, but I've also loved it at times," Verstappen said after he finished two points shy of the drivers' title. "And I always tried to ​extract the most from it, even in the difficult weekends that we've had."In a moment that perhaps inspired Mintzlaff's confidence that his top driver will remain with the team for the long term, Verstappen had praise for everybody associated with Red Bull."I mean, I have no regrets about my season," Verstappen said. "Also, in the team, we have a great atmosphere at the moment. ⁠We're really on a roll - positive energy, belief, confidence - and that's exactly what you want heading into next year." 

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Sunday crowned Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing driver as the winner of the Qatar Airways Formula 1 Grand Prix 2025. Held at Lusail International Circuit, the Qatar Grand Prix served as round 23 and the penultimate race of the Formula 1 World Championship season. Joining Sheikh Joaan in the podium ceremony were, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Badr Mohammed al-Meer, CEO of Qatar Airways, Abdulrahman al-Mannai, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, and Abdulaziz al-Mohannadi, CEO of Lusail International Circuit. The Dutch driver clinched first place after completing the 57-lap race in a time of 1:24:38.241 hours, finishing ahead of Australia’s Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who took second place, while Spain’s Carlos Sainz of Williams secured the third place. 

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen kept his championship hopes alive under the Lusail floodlights, winning a chaotic and tactically fraught Qatar Grand Prix after McLaren’s bold, and ultimately disastrous, decision not to pit under an early Safety Car left both their drivers exposed.Pole-sitter Oscar Piastri salvaged second place and 18 points, while championship leader Lando Norris fought back to finish fourth in a damage-limitation drive. The dramatic result ensures the title battle will go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi next weekend. Carlos Sainz delivered a superb performance to take third, earning Williams their second podium of the season.As things stand, Norris heads into the final round with a 12-point lead over four-time consecutive champion Verstappen, with Piastri 16 points back in third. A third-place finish in Abu Dhabi would secure Norris his maiden title, but with Verstappen having won five of the last eight Grands Prix, and with McLaren under scrutiny for repeated strategic missteps, the season finale is poised for a dramatic twist.The key moment unfolded at the end of lap 7, when Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly made light contact, sending the Sauber spinning and triggering a Safety Car. Verstappen immediately dived into the pits, as did nearly the entire field, except for both McLarens and Haas’ Esteban Ocon.The urgency to pit was heightened by an enforced 25-lap maximum stint length on all Pirelli tyre sets on a highly-demanding Lusail track, effectively guaranteeing at least two pit stops in the 57-lap race. Red Bull, aware of McLaren’s strong pace all weekend, gambled early, and it paid off handsomely, with Verstappen securing his seventh win of the season, the same as his McLaren rivals."This was an incredible race for us. We made the right call as a team to box under that Safety Car. That was smart," said Verstappen, who claimed his third consecutive victory in Qatar. "I'm super happy to win here. We stay in the fight until the end. Incredible! It was a very strong race on a weekend that was a bit tough but we won the race and that was important."Saturday’s Sprint winner Piastri, who saw a near-certain victory slip away due to McLaren’s strategy, was frustrated. “Speechless…” he said over team radio after the chequered flag. “I don’t have any words.”Speaking moments later, a forlorn-looking Piastri criticised his team. "Clearly we didn't get it right tonight. I drove the best race that I could and as fast as I could. There was nothing left out there. I tried my best but it wasn't to be tonight unfortunately,” the Australian said."I think in hindsight it's pretty obvious what we would have done, but I'm sure we'll discuss it as a team. It's not all bad. It's been a really good weekend and the pace has been very strong. Obviously it's a little bit tough to swallow at the moment,” the 24-year-old added.Immediately after the race, McLaren faced accusations that the controversial call was influenced by a desire to avoid favouring either Norris or Piastri in the tight title fight. Norris rejected that claim outright, despite the decision leaving both cars vulnerable. Had both drivers pitted, Norris would have queued behind Piastri and risked losing track position, while stopping only one car would inevitably raise questions about favoritism.“No, nothing to do with that. Everyone keeps thinking that but it’s nothing to do with that,” Norris insisted. “It’s tough. We just had to have faith in the team making the right decision. It’s always a gamble. We were the ones who took a gamble in a way. Now it’s the wrong decision. We shouldn’t have done it. We’ve won the constructors’ six races ago because of that. Not our finest day but that’s life,” he added.Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli helped Mercedes inch closer to securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship with a strong run to fifth. Norris was hunting down the Italian on the final lap when Antonelli ran wide, allowing the Briton to pounce and seize fourth, a potentially crucial gain of two extra points heading into Abu Dhabi.Behind Antonelli, Isack Hadjar looked set for sixth before suffering a left-front puncture three laps from the end, promoting George Russell after the Mercedes driver had lost three positions on lap one.Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten. Alex Albon (Williams) finished 11th ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), and Franco Colapinto (Alpine). Ocon was classified 15th after receiving a five-second penalty for a false start, ahead of Gasly, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and the unlucky Hadjar.Ollie Bearman retired after serving a 10-second stop-go penalty for running an unsafe car, while Hulkenberg’s race ended in the gravel following his collision with Gasly.

Lusail International Circuit has often suited McLaren, but Max Verstappen has been untouchable in Qatar, claiming pole position and victory at the last two Grands Prix. This weekend, the Red Bull driver will be chasing a hat-trick of wins as the Formula One world championship reaches boiling point with just two races remaining. Yet four-time consecutive world champion Verstappen knows better than most that, even with a slice of luck, overcoming the 24-point deficit to McLaren’s Lando Norris is unlikely. Despite being disqualified alongside McLaren team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri after finishing second at last Sunday’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris arrives in Qatar as favourite to lift his first championship and secure McLaren’s first team-and-driver double since Mika Hakkinen’s triumph in 1998. The 26-year-old Briton needs only to outscore his rivals by two points to leave Qatar as champion on Sunday night. “Ready! See what happens. It is the same, I feel the same as last week,” said Verstappen yesterday, when asked about his chances. “Yes, it is closer. Ideally I would have loved to have had it even more closely, of course we'll try our best. All in, and hopefully we can make it exciting to the end.” The Dutchman enters the penultimate round just 24 points behind Norris, thanks to his Las Vegas victory and the subsequent disqualification of both McLaren drivers. Since a disappointing ninth-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August, Verstappen has claimed four wins from eight races, reached the podium in the others, and slashed a 104-point deficit to previous championship leader Piastri, with the pair now level on 366 points. With two Grands Prix and a Sprint remaining, there are a total of 58 points on offer with Verstappen having been the form driver in the latter stages of the season. “Something that I definitely wouldn't have expected but here we are,” Verstappen reflected. “I think we have had a very strong end to the season, much happier with that and I guess also we've been helped a little bit with certain things. Results, crashes, disqualifications. We should not forget that I guess but I'm happy. Naturally I would have liked a bit of a better first half but that's something that you can't change. We'll just try to focus on the last two races and try to do the best we can.” Verstappen also welcomed McLaren’s decision not to implement team orders in support of Norris, ahead of the three-way fight for the drivers’ title. “You can't do a better job than allowing them to race, because why would you suddenly now say that Oscar wouldn't be allowed to race him (Norris) anymore,” Verstappen said. “If you're a real winner and a racer, as a driver, then you go for it, even if you are behind. I mean, otherwise, what is the point in turning up? Otherwise, you can just easily label yourself as a number two driver, which I think he (Piastri) doesn't want to be. For me, I know that I am equal on points with Oscar and a lot still needs to go right, but I think it should be like that -- that they are free to race and hopefully, we can make it a great battle until the end,” he added. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has insisted both drivers will be supported equally until one is mathematically out of contention. Yesterday, Piastri confirmed McLaren had discussed team orders briefly, in favour of Norris, and decided against them. “I'm still equal on points with Max and I've got a decent shot of still winning it, if things go my way. So, yeah, that's how we play it,” the Australian said. Returning to circuits and conditions that suit him, Piastri can still produce a performance to lift himself back into serious contention on a fast and flowing track where Pirelli has mandated two pit-stops due to heavy tyre wear. Each set of tyres will be limited to 25 laps, a scenario likely to produce unexpected tactics Such variables could allow Mercedes or Ferrari to upset predictions and leave the three title contenders heading to next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi for a showdown where the winner takes all.

After a bruising Las Vegas Grand Prix, where Lando Norris lost the lead to Max Verstappen at the start and finished second before being disqualified for excessive skid-block wear, the championship leader is now looking forward to ‘warm weather, playing some golf and padel’ in Qatar.Norris’ hopes of stretching his advantage ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit, and the Abu Dhabi finale the week after, took a heavy hit when both he and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri were disqualified following post-race checks in Las Vegas. Despite the setback, Norris still tops the standings with a 24-point cushion over Piastri and Red Bull’s Verstappen. The title remains his to lose, but the Qatar weekend complicates matters with Sprint race points on offer this Saturday. A total of 58 points remain on the table: 25 each for Qatar and Abu Dhabi, plus eight for winning Saturday’s Sprint. Should Norris end the Qatar GP with a lead of 26 points or more over both Piastri and Verstappen, he will seal his maiden world championship. Even if he wins the Sprint and both rivals fail to score, Norris would move 32 clear with 50 still available. Over the weekend as a whole, simply outscoring both by two points would be enough for him to clinch the title.Before diving into the pressure of an action-packed weekend in Lusail, the McLaren driver wants to unwind in Qatar for couple of days. “I look forward to Qatar. I look forward to getting somewhere warm and just go play some golf, go play some padel for a few days, enjoy a few days off, and do everything we can to try and win in Qatar,” Norris said.However, with an in-form Verstappen breathing down his neck and chasing a fifth consecutive world championship, Norris can seldom take a breather. Since Verstappen’s victory in Austin last month, the Dutchman has slashed his deficit to the championship leader — then Piastri — by 64 points across four races. Averaging 12 points over Norris in the final two rounds is still a tall order for Verstappen, but his relentless form and Red Bull’s late-season resurgence mean the reigning champion will be ready to capitalise on any slip by – as he did in Las Vegas.Asked whether he would approach the race differently after surrendering the lead in Vegas, a moment rendered moot by the disqualification, Norris insisted he has no intention of going conservative. “I’ve never been in that position before, so I probably can’t really answer it,” he said.“But nothing feels different now, even though that is the opportunity I’m entering into. I treat it the same. I treat it like I want to go and win. I’ll do everything I can to try and win the race. It’s a lot more fun when you win than when you come second. My goal is to win both races to the end of the season, and the Sprint as well. So I’ll try and win all three. I just focus on having a few days off, shifting the time zone back, and then focusing on Free Practice 1,” he added.The high-speed Lusail Circuit, flowing through the desert on the outskirts of Doha, adds further intrigue to the title battle. Originally designed for motorcycle racing, the 5.419km track is dominated by medium- and high-speed corners and features a one-kilometre start-finish straight that provides the prime overtaking chance into Turn 1. Tyre management will be crucial, with Pirelli limiting each set to 25 laps due to the extreme load generated by the fast corners.For Verstappen, winner of both previous Qatar Grands Prix, Lusail presents an ideal opportunity to ramp up the pressure on Norris. But Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies warned that the grid should expect a complete “reset” after the unique conditions in Las Vegas.“You can’t imagine a more different situation in Qatar compared to Las Vegas. Everything is the opposite. We will reset and try to nail the weekend,” Mekies said.Verstappen’s win in Las Vegas was his sixth of the season and his fourth in the last seven races. Mekies believes the 28-year-old is performing at one of the highest levels ever seen in F1.“In terms of driving and what he does, I think he’s as good or better than everything we have seen,” he said. “There are many examples this year. We know we suffered in the first part of the season. The guys have done an amazing job turning around the car, and now that he’s able to fight again for the win, he produces masterclass after masterclass.”

Max Verstappen of Red Bull came in first place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, while Lando Norris of McLaren moved closer to securing his first World Championship title after finishing in second place in the 22nd round of the Formula One World Championship.Norris dropped to third place behind Mercedes' George Russell before regaining second place, strengthening his lead in the drivers' standings with 408 points, 30 points clear from his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, while Verstappen comes in third with a 42-point difference.Verstappen secured his sixth win of the season and the 69th of his career, finishing about 21 seconds ahead of Norris and 23 seconds ahead of Russell.In the Constructors' standings, the battle for second place is fierce between Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. Meanwhile, McLaren secured the Constructors' World Championship for the second year in a row.

Resurgent Formula One champion Max Verstappen rejected a suggestion he had "lost interest" when Red Bull were struggling earlier this season and said he had always fought hard for every point.The Dutch driver was responding at the Mexican Grand Prix on Thursday to a comment by Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko, a close ally who has played an important role in the Dutch driver's career."Max at one stage when we were not competitive, I would say he lost a little bit of interest," the 82-year-old Austrian told Sky Sports television in Texas last weekend after the driver won the sprint and main race from pole position.Verstappen fell 104 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the end of August but has since roared back with three wins in the last four races.He is now 40 points behind the Australian with five rounds remaining and back in contention for what would be a fifth successive title."Of course it's more enjoyable coming to the race weekends like this than knowing that you don't have a chance to win," the driver, a five-times winner in Mexico, told reporters."But I know for myself that when I sit in the car, I always try to maximise everything that I have. And I give it everything."So even if I'm fighting for fourth or even ninth, I will always try to get the best out of it."Verstappen has a keen interest in sportscar racing, competing and winning in the GT3 category at the Nuerburgring last month.Marko had suggested the driver was allowed to do that "to keep him in a good mood"."Now that the car is working, and his success at the Nurburgring, I would say two tenths just came from him because he's really motivated ... you don't hear him shouting, he's smiling - that's what you need," he added.Verstappen said the Nuerburgring race had been arranged far in advance and he had been competing online during the season and on F1 weekends for years already."There's nothing really that has changed in terms of how professional I approach my race weekends," he said.Verstappen said the upturn in the car's performance was a "combination of a lot of things" including upgrades that allowed it to run in a different configuration."These cars are super-sensitive, right? So you're sliding a bit less, the tyres also work a bit better and that gives you also better race pace."So it's a lot of things that just came together that suddenly unlocked quite a bit more pace within the car. And that gives me more confidence and allowed us also to set up the car a little bit more aggressive."

Max Verstappen maintained the pressure on McLaren and cut another chunk out of Oscar Piastri's lead in this year's world championship on Sunday when he cruised to a commanding triumph at the United States Grand Prix.In sizzling conditions, Red Bull's four-time world champion led from pole position to chequered flag to come home 7.959 seconds clear of title-chasing Lando Norris, of McLaren, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finishing third, 4.041 adrift.Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren finished fifth.It was Verstappen's fourth win in Texas and seventh on American soil, his fifth this year and the 68th of his career.It was also, for Verstappen, the fourth race in succession in which he had out-qualified and out-raced both McLarens.Verstappen has reduced Piastri's 104 point advantage over him to 40 with five races remaining.Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Piastri and Mercedes's George Russell.Verstappen said: "It's been an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew it wouldn't be straightforward and the pace between us was close. But my first stint did it for me."Now we have a chance to be there (in the title race) and we just have to keep delivering like that in all the weekends to the end of the season and see what happens. It's exciting. We just need to keep up the momentum."Norris was relieved to snatch second place after spending most of the race pushing to overtake Leclerc."It took me long enough! It was a good battle with Charles, he fought hard. It was tough... But I'm happy to take second."Verstappen now has 306 points in the title race in third place leaving Piastri on top with 346 points and Norris on 332. McLaren have already won the constructors' title for the second consecutive year.The 28-year-old Dutchman has now collected 119 points from a possible 135 over the last five Grand Prix weekends.Norris passes Leclerc, twiceOn another day of searing heat in Texas, with temperatures of 30C -- and 44C on the track -- making it a 'heat hazard' race, Verstappen made a clean start to lead up the hill into the opening sequence of turns with Leclerc, the only top ten driver on softs, passing Norris for second.Hamilton and Piastri also advanced to fourth and fifth after a poor start from Russell, all of them on mediums as Norris and Hamilton chased Leclerc in the opening laps. That battle gave Verstappen a clear run and he was three seconds ahead by lap four.Having won Saturday's sprint to trim Piastri's championship advantage to 55 points, the Dutchman was revelling in his form and the role of hunter as McLaren's supremacy evaporated.By lap 10, Verstappen led Leclerc by 3.3 seconds with Norris third, 1.4 adrift and Hamilton fourth, 1.9 behind him. Piastri was fifth, 3.2 seconds back.For McLaren, it was shaping up as a nightmare for team boss Zak Brown who feared "that Max guy getting in the middle of our fun".Leclerc's softs were failing by lap 15 and Norris attacked, but the Monegasque defended and a frustrated Norris collected three warnings for exceeding track limits before he passed him on lap 21.But after a flurry of pit-stops, Verstappen emerged six seconds clear of Leclerc with Norris, back down in third again.What seemed to be a pedestrian contest came to life in the final six laps when Norris attacked Leclerc, who was struggling on his worn mediums, and, after several attempts, dived past him at Turn One on lap 52.That helped Norris trim Piastri's championship lead to just 14 points.

Verstappen leads every lap to win in BakuPiastri crashes on opening lap, lead slashed to 25 pointsNorris starts and finishes seventhRussell second, Sainz thirdMcLaren kept waiting for 10th constructors' titleRed Bull's Max Verstappen cruised to a dominant Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory while Oscar Piastri crashed on the opening lap and had his Formula One lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris slashed to 25 points.McLaren had hoped to secure their 10th Formula One constructors' title, and second in a row, Sunday with a record seven rounds remaining but must now wait until Singapore on October 5 after their lowest scoring weekend of the season.George Russell finished second for Mercedes, who moved up to second place and 333 points behind McLaren with 346 still to be won, and Carlos Sainz third for Williams's first podium finish since 2021.Norris started and finished seventh in what will rank as a missed opportunity, with six points gained on his rival but his chances of more scuppered by a slow 4.1-second pitstop for the second successive race.The win was Verstappen's second in a row and he led every lap from pole to flag, also setting the fastest lap for a "Grand Slam" that revived his slim title hopes with the reigning champion now 69 points behind Piastri.He took the chequered flag 14.609 seconds clear of Russell, after being more than 32 seconds clear before taking his pitstop."I think this weekend has been incredible for us," said Verstappen after his 67th career win, fourth of the season and second in Baku after a 2022 victory. "For us to win here again is just fantastic."We had clean air all the time and you could then look after your tyres. And yeah, it was pretty straightforward."Russell, recovering from sickness and starting fifth on the grid, was happy to see a rough weekend finish strongly while Sainz - voted driver of the day - was the happiest man on the podium."I cannot describe how happy I am and how good this feels. It tastes even better than my first ever podium," said the Spaniard, a four-times race winner with Ferrari who had started on the front row.The big story came on the opening lap when Piastri, who crashed in qualifying and started ninth, jumped the start and went to the back of the field before ploughing into the wall at turn five.The uncharacteristic errors ended the Australian's record of being the only driver to score in every race this season and also put the brakes on a run of 34 races in the points.He had not failed to finish a race since his 2023 rookie season."Certainly not my finest moment," the 24-year-old told Sky Sports."I just anticipated the start too much and yeah...silly simple error really."Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli was fourth for Mercedes, redeeming himself after a poor home race weekend at Monza, with New Zealander Liam Lawson enjoying a career high fifth for Racing Bulls.Yuki Tsunoda was sixth for Red Bull with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following Norris home in eighth and ninth, with the pair swapping places on team orders because Hamilton had fresher tyres.French rookie Isack Hadjar made it a double points finish for Racing Bulls in 10th.Piastri's crash brought out the safety car, a regular feature of races in Baku, and provided the main drama of the 51- lap race around the windy city streets where the threat of a downpour failed to materialise.Norris lost a place to Hadjar and was then passed by Leclerc when the race re-started after the safety car period.The Briton followed Leclerc past Hadjar, whose car had suffered an hydraulics problem before the start, and could have passed both Leclerc and Lawson had his pitstop not cost him critical seconds.He ultimately passed Leclerc with 10 laps remaining but was unable to find a way past Tsunoda."I did the best I could yesterday, the best I could today," said Norris."Every race I didn't win was an opportunity missed, so of course today I wanted more. It was not a good result, but I couldn't do anything more today."