F1 2025 Standings: McLaren disaster sets up Max Verstappen showdown in Abu Dhabi

McLaren's tactical blunder at the Qatar Grand Prix means that not only did Lando Norris not wrap up the championship this weekend, but also that Max Verstappen has a real chance of snatching his fifth in a row in Abu Dhabi.

Oscar Piastri, the third man in the three-way battle, dominated running on Friday and Saturday, and was leading when an early safety car came out on Sunday evening.

Most of the grid pitted, including Verstappen, but McLaren opted to stay out with both of their drivers and lost track position to their rivals after their second pit stop.

By winning the Qatar GP, Verstappen has soared to second in the standings and is now 12 points behind Lando Norris with Piastri also 16 points behind his team-mate, despite finishing ahead in second and the Brit finishing in fourth.

Oh! And Carlos Sainz managed to benefit off McLaren's strategy blunder and claimed his second podium of the year, finishing P3.

F1 Drivers' Standings after 2025 Qatar Grand Prix

F1 Constructors' Standings after 2025 Qatar Grand Prix Sprint

2025 rule change removes fastest lap point

The fastest lap point has been removed for the 2025 season. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.

However, in the past, this led to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a new set of tyres in the final stages of the race in order to claim the fastest lap point or prevent a rival from getting the extra point, playing the tactical long game in the championship standings.

The most famous example of this last season came during Daniel Ricciardo's final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Norris and helping Verstappen's 2024 title bid.

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