Verstappen Dominates Qatar GP, โฃschmitz Earns Top Marks; Ferrari Faces Total Failure
Lusail, Qatar – โNovember 30, 2025 – Max Verstappen โคsecured a commandingโ victory at the Qatar Grand prix today, further solidifying his championship lead, while โRed Bull Racing’s strategic brilliance, spearheaded by โขHannah Schmitz, โearned widespread acclaim. Inโค stark contrast, Ferrari endured โaโ calamitous race, failing to score a single point and promptingโ immediate questions about the team’s performance and futureโค direction. The race, held at the Lusail International Circuit, concluded with Verstappen finishing ahead of โOscar Piastri and โLando Norris, marking another dominant display by the reigning world champion.
The Qatar Grand prix highlighted not onyl โขVerstappen’s remarkable driving โskill but also the critical role of strategic decision-makingโข inโ modern Formula โ1. Schmitz, Red bull’s head of race strategy, โฃmasterfully navigated tire management and pit stop timing,โฃ maximizing โVerstappen’s advantage and contributing substantially to the team’s one-two finish – a feat narrowly missed due to Sergioโ Pรฉrez’s late penalty. Simultaneously occurring, Ferrari’s struggles underscored the fragility of performance in the sport, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. encountering issues that ultimately led โtoโ their retirements. Thisโ result intensifies pressure on the Italian team to โaddress basic problems before the season’s end and heading into the 2026 regulations.
Verstappen completed the 57-lap race with a โfinal โคtime of 1:29:56.889, demonstrating a consistent pace throughout. Piastri finished 4.8 seconds behind, followed by Norris in third. Schmitz’sโ performance was lauded by commentators โขand fans alike, with many suggesting a perfect scoreโ for her tactical execution. โฃ
Ferrari’s weekend began โฃwith promise, but quickly unraveled. Leclerc retired on lap 19 dueโค to mechanical issues, while Sainz Jr. was forced to abandon the race on โlap 23 following a collision. โThe double retirement marks a significant โsetback forโข Ferrari, who wereโค hoping to close the gap to โคRed Bull in both the โdrivers’ andโฃ Constructors’ Championships. The teamโข now faces a critical โperiod of analysis andโค restructuring to prevent a repeat of such a disastrous outcome.
The Formula 1 season continues next โคweek with theโ Las Vegasโ Grand Prix,โค where teams will aim to build on theirโข Qatar performance and further refine โคtheir strategies for the remaining races. The pressure is particularly high for Ferrari to recover and demonstrate improvement, while Red Bull willโค look toโข maintain its โฃdominant โform and secure both championships.
ยฉ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Last updated November 30, 2025 (10:53 pmโ CET).
