Starting Grid For The F1 Qatar Grand Prix 2025

Lando Norris could clinch the Formula 1 drivers' world title at the Qatar Grand Prix, but first, he must get past McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to ensure he wraps up the crown early.

Australian Piastri has returned to form this weekend, securing pole and victory in the sprint, closing the gap to Norris to 22 points, knowing he has to be within 25 points to stand any chance at the end of the weekend.

And he continued that level of performance to pip his teammate to pole for the grand prix at the Lusail International Circuit - his first for a Sunday race since the Dutch Grand Prix eight races ago.

Eyes forward. A showdown in the desert beckons 🏜️#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/ZvywwRWG0G
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 30, 2025

Max Verstappen will line up third, knowing he has to outscore Norris to keep his championship hopes alive, having fallen outside the 25-point buffer with a fourth-place finish in Saturday's sprint.

The Red Bull driver is joined on the second row of the grid by George Russell, with the Mercedes driver ahead of rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli.

Sixth is Isack Hadjar, who continues to impress for Racing Bulls. The Frenchman was disappointed to miss out on SQ3 on Friday night but put that right with a strong showing in main qualifying.

Carlos Sainz was seventh and escaped a penalty for leaving the garage in an unsafe condition, though Williams copped a fine for the incident as plastic wrapped its way around the car's tires and caused a red flag when unfurling.

Carlos Sainz, Williams | Williams Racing

Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso again reached the top 10 and starts eighth, while Pierre Gasly put in a stunning effort to drag Alpine into Q3.

Charles Leclerc will start 10th after a spin on a dreadful weekend for Ferrari, with the car way off the pace of its rivals in the race for second in the championship.

Nico Hulkenberg missed out on a top 10 spot by the narrowest of margins for Sauber but starts 11th, with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson for company.

Oliver Bearman is 13th ahead of Alex Albon - the Haas and Williams drivers are facing an uphill climb for points.

Yuki Tsunoda is the first of those to move up a spot from his actual qualifying result by virtue of penalties, the Red Bull driver dropping in performance from a much-improved Friday showing, and was one of two shock departures in Q1, along with Lewis Hamilton.

They are separated on the grid by Esteban Ocon in the second Haas, with Gabriel Bortoleto's five-place grid penalty from Las Vegas demoting the Sauber rookie to 19th and last on the grid, while parc ferme car changes mean Franco Colapinto will start from the pitlane.

F1 Qatar Grand Prix 2025: Starting grid with penalties applied

Position	Driver
1	Oscar Piastri
2	Lando Norris
3	Max Verstappen
4	George Russell
5	Kimi Antonelli
6	Isack Hadjar
7	Carlos Sainz
8	Fernando Alonso
9	Pierre Gasly
10	Charles Leclerc
11	Nico Hulkenberg
12	Liam Lawson
13	Oliver Bearman
14	Alex Albon
15	Yuki Tsunoda
16	Esteban Ocon
17	Lewis Hamilton
18	Lance Stroll
19 [Penalty]	Gabriel Bortoleto
Pitlane	Franco Colapinto

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