Piastri Starts on Pole as Verstappen Changes Engine ahead of Qatar Grand Prix
The 2025 Qatar Grand prix is underway,with Oscar Piastri starting from pole position – his first as Zandvoort. This is the fourth time the Qatar Grand Prix has been held, with previous wins going to Max Verstappen (twice) and Lewis Hamilton once.
Ahead of the race, Verstappen fitted a new power unit, but will avoid a grid penalty as it is indeed an engine previously used this season. According to Erik van Haren, the change was a precautionary measure due to potential reliability issues, and is not the unit used in Sao Paulo.
The championship battle remains tight.Lando Norris leads Piastri by 22 points and verstappen by 25. A win for Norris today would secure him the title, regardless of the finishing positions of Piastri and verstappen.
Here’s a breakdown of scenarios for Norris to win the title today:
* 2nd: Norris wins unless Verstappen wins and Piastri finishes top three.
* 3rd: Norris wins if Verstappen finishes behind him and Piastri finishes outside the top four.
* 4th: Norris wins if Verstappen finishes behind him and Piastri finishes outside the top six.
* 5th: Norris wins if Verstappen finishes behind him and Piastri finishes outside the top seven.
* 6th: Norris wins if Verstappen finishes behind him and Piastri finishes outside the top seven.
* 7th: norris wins if Verstappen finishes behind him and Piastri finishes outside the top eight.
* 8th: Norris wins if Verstappen finishes behind him and Piastri finishes outside the top ten.
To remain in contention, Verstappen needs to limit his points loss to a maximum of 24. A 25-point loss would only keep him in the fight if Piastri wins. In the event of a tie,Verstappen currently has one fewer win than the McLaren drivers,with Norris leading in second-place finishes.
Riders are now on the starting grid.
