Australian racer Oscar Piastri was left visibly dejected after coming in second at the Formula One (F1) Qatar Grand Prix (GP) on Sunday, November 30. He lost first place to Dutch driver Max Verstappen, who has also taken over his spot in the overall standings, making the McLaren driver third in the running for the 2025 World Drivers’ Championship.
Despite landing fourth place in the Qatar race, Piastri’s teammate, British driver Lando Norris, remains first in the standings, now with 408 points. Red Bull’s Verstappen follows at 396 points, and Piastri with 392.
Piastri’s defeat in the latest race hit hard after he clinched first place at the sprint race and took pole position this weekend.
McLaren had refused Piastri a pit stop when the safety car was out, making him stop instead when the race resumed its normal pace and allowing Verstappen to take the lead. The 24-year-old driver called the race “gut-wrenching.”
“It felt like I drove probably the best weekend I’ve had this year, if not in F1, so to not have the result is painful,” he said. “I think in hindsight it’s pretty obvious what we would’ve done. I’m sure we’ll discuss it as a team.”
Looking ahead at the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi GP, Piastri said, “I’ll just try and drive how I did this weekend, that’s all I can do.”
Piastri can still claim the world championship this year, but only if he takes P1 while Norris lands P3 or below in the next race. Verstappen, who finds himself caught between the two McLaren drivers, is also very likely to take the title again, having already won the championship four times since 2021.
The Abu Dhabi GP is set to happen on Sunday, December 7, Philippine Standard Time.
