2025 F1 Qatar GP: Top 5 Bold Predictions

The 2025 F1 Qatar GP is the second-to-last race of a season where the title battle still has three drivers in contention. We have Lando Norris leading the charge, followed by both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, 24 points behind.

The race this weekend could potentially crown the world champion if Norris outscores both drivers by 2 points over the weekend, but the way the season has gone, it's hard to predict which way the cookie will crumble. The F1 Qatar GP is also a sprint weekend, and hence the activity and anticipation are also going to be ratcheted up from Friday onwards.

During all of this, this is a race where Max Verstappen has been quite successful as well, as he's won 2 out of the 3 events that have taken place here. So what can we expect from the F1 Qatar GP? Let's take a look.

#5 The enforced two-stopper could make the race intriguing

The F1 Qatar GP will have an enforced rule where each tire set can't be run for more than 25 laps. In a 57-lap race, this means we're looking at a 2-stopper.

The 25 laps also mean there's a lot of wiggle room to play with for teams when it comes to strategies as well, and some could potentially use that to their advantage.

Either way, having more than one stop does mix things up for the teams and is certainly going to be another factor in the race.

#4 Sauber will lead the midfield

The F1 Qatar GP was the race where Sauber scored its first points last season. The Swiss team has since then made significant strides in terms of performance, and things have improved a lot. So much so, they've got a podium to their name as well.

The conditions at this track do work in the team's favor, and with Nico Hulkenberg finally getting to grips with the car in qualifying, he would be looking at this opportunity to score points. Bortoleto has a 5-place penalty for the race, but he would also be looking to make the most of what could be a very competitive race for the team.

#3 Another race weekend where Lewis Hamilton struggles

The F1 Qatar GP is not necessarily one of Lewis Hamilton's favorite tracks anyway, but what's going to make things worse is the fact that Ferrari might also struggle around this track.

The long corners are not necessarily where the car shines, and that could make the drivers vulnerable to midfield contenders. Looking at Hamilton's form, this might not be a good one for the Brit.

#2 Mercedes is the dark horse at the front

Mercedes has been a pretty strong car around this track in general, and in the last couple of years, George Russell has been quite close to the front as well.

Lest we forget, Russell started the race from pole here last year, and it was the bad start that ultimately put paid to any kind of challenge from him.

To add to this, if there is a team that makes the most of the stint lengths, it's going to be Mercedes. The team is notorious for tire wear issues, and the reduced stint lengths are going to come in handy.

#1 Max Verstappen wins the F1 Qatar GP

Well, this track should favor McLaren, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if one of Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris secures pole position.

At the same time, it won't come as a surprise if Max Verstappen, in his Red Bull, is quite competitive in qualifying. At the end of the day, it might come down to who takes the lead into turn 1, and if it is Max Verstappen, it won't come as a surprise that he ends up winning.

When the pressure is high, it's often the case that the Dutch driver stands up and makes it count. We don't expect much different, as we expect the 4x F1 champion to win the race and take the battle into Abu Dhabi.