Lando Norris has match point heading into the penultimate weekend of the Formula 1 season, with the British driver having one hand on a maiden drivers' championship.
Norris enters this weekend's racing in Qatar with a 24-point advantage over his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, and reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Despite being in pole position to win the title, Norris is not guaranteed the title and will still need to produce a solid drive to make his championship dream a reality.
Piastri has already said he will not be helping his teammate, with the Australian still daring to dream that he can snatch the world championship late.
Here is what you need to know about the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, the penultimate round of the 2025 F1 season.
How can Lando Norris win the F1 title this weekend?
McLaren driver Norris is in pole position to become the F1 drivers' champion, and the British racer can seal the title this weekend.
Norris leads the championship on 390 points, which is a 24-point advantage over Piastri and Verstappen, who are both on 366.
Here is how Norris can win the title this weekend.
At the conclusion of this weekend, there will be one grand prix to race in 2025.
The maximum amount of points a driver can score in the final round is 25 points.
Therefore, if Norris holds a lead of 26 points leaving Qatar, he will be the world champion.
In Qatar, there will be one grand prix and one sprint race held, with a maximum of 33 points to be won.
| Position | Grand prix points | Sprint race points |
| First | 25 | 8 |
| Second | 18 | 7 |
| Third | 15 | 6 |
| Fourth | 12 | 5 |
| Fifth | 10 | 4 |
| Sixth | 8 | 3 |
| Seventh | 6 | 2 |
| Eighth | 4 | 1 |
| Ninth | 2 | 0 |
| Tenth | 1 | 0 |
There are many combinations of results that can happen for Norris to score two, or more, points than Piastri and Verstappen.
But in simple terms, Piastri and Verstappen need to finish ahead of Norris to keep the title fight alive.
So, what if Norris only has a 25-point lead at the end of the Qatar weekend?
Well, he will go into Abu Dhabi needing to finish 10th or better to win the title.
But what if Piastri or Verstappen are 25 points behind, win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while and Norris fails to score, and the drivers are tied for points?
Well, then the title will be decided on countback.
If points are equal, then the driver with the most grand prix wins is crowned champion.
If the number of wins is the same, then the driver with the most second-place finishes is the champion, and so on.
Heading into the Qatar weekend, Norris and Piastri have seven wins, while Verstappen has six.
So, if Norris wins in Qatar (his eighth grand prix victory) and is 25 points ahead of Verstappen, then the Dutchman cannot win the title.
If Norris wins in Qatar and Piastri then equals his points tally the following week in Abu Dhabi with a victory, both drivers will have won eight grands prix.
The countback would then go to the driver with the most second-place finishes, which Norris leads Piastri 8-3.
While Norris has a terrific chance of winning the title this weekend, he can also lose the lead of the championship.
In the absolute worst-case scenario, Norris could leave Qatar sitting third in the championship. But a lot would need to go wrong for Norris not to leave Qatar with the lead of the championship, at the very least.
When does the F1 Qatar Grand Prix begin?
In Australia, the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix will be held on Monday, December 11.
Here is when the race will begin in each of Australia's states and territories:
- 3am AEDT: NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas
- 2:30am ACDT: South Australia
- 2am AEST: Queensland
- 1:30am ACST: Northern Territory
- 12am AWST: Western Australia
There is also a sprint race this weekend in Qatar.
The sprint race, which is one-third of a grand prix distance, will run overnight on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30, depending on where you are in Australia.
Here is when the sprint race will begin in each of Australia's states and territories:
- 1am AEDT, Sunday, November 30: NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas
- 12:30am ACDT, Sunday, November 30: South Australia
- 12am AEST, Sunday, November 30: Queensland
- 11:30pm ACST, Saturday, November 29: Northern Territory
- 10pm AWST, Saturday, November 29: Western Australia
How can I watch and follow the F1 Qatar Grand Prix?
Fox Sports and its streaming platform Kayo will be broadcasting the Qatar Grand Prix.
Those watching on Foxtel can watch the race on Fox Sports, channel 506.
You can also follow all the action with the ABC Sport live blog, from pre-race drama to the post-race synopsis.
ABC Sport will have a live blog of the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, which will begin at 3am AEDT on Monday, December 1.
What do I need to know about the Lusail International Circuit?
The Lusail International Circuit was built with motorcycle racing as its primary focus.
Hosting its first MotoGP race in 2004, it is a fast and flowing track that is well-suited to bikes.
Medium to high-speed corners are the defining features of the circuit, a tough challenge for any driver who is on older tyres.
The triple right-hand turns of corners 12 to 14 will really test the stability and downforce of any F1 car.
The best overtaking spot is turn one, after the long straight, which stretches more than 1km.
Fast facts about the Lusail International Circuit?
- First race: 2021
- Number of laps: 57
- Lap distance: 5.419km
- Race distance: 308.611km
- Grand prix lap record: 1:22.384 — Lando Norris (2024)
