Lando Norris: McLaren driver hoping for ‘bad night’s sleep’ ahead of Qatar Grand Prix as first F1 title chance awaits
Lando Norris says he is hoping for a “bad night’s sleep” as he looks to seal his first F1 world title on Sunday at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris will begin the penultimate race of the season, which starts at 4pm (build-up from 2.30pm live on Sky Sports F1), from second in behind pole-sitter and closest title rival Oscar Piastri, with the other title protagonist, Max Verstappen, in third.
If Norris finishes ahead of Verstappen and outscores Piastri by at least four points, he will become world champion with a race to spare, while victory on Sunday in Qatar would guarantee the title.
F1 Drivers’ Championship – top three
Driver
Team
Points
1) Lando Norris
McLaren
396
2) Oscar Piastri
McLaren
374
3) Max Verstappen
Red Bull
371
Asked by Sky Sports F1 how he will sleep, Norris said: “Hopefully bad! The worse I sleep the better I do!”
Norris held provisional pole after the first runs in Q3 but Piastri stole it back with a mighty lap at the end of qualifying, while Norris abandoned his final effort at Turn Two as he understeered wide.
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Highlights of qualifying from the Qatar GP
He explained: “Turn One was much better. I felt like I was a tenth up but at Turn Two I’m not sure. I don’t know if the wind changed. I just got pushed into a small understeer and that cost me. I had to abort the lap. I was going to go off the track, and I didn’t want to damage the floor.
“Pretty disappointed. I’m convinced I would have been on pole but I’m not now! I can’t always be great and on pole but there was an opportunity on Saturday. It’s over now and our focus is on the race.”
Norris will be world champion if the following happens….
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Max Verstappen
1st
Does not matter
Does not matter
2nd
4th or lower
3rd or lower
3rd
5th or lower
4th or lower
4th
6th or lower
5th or lower
5th
7th or lower
6th or lower
6th
8th or lower
7th or lower
7th
9th or lower
8th or lower
8th
11th or lower
9th or lower
Will dirty side of the grid hamper Norris?
Starting from second means Norris will be launching off from the dirty side of the grid as the drivers do not use that part of the track on a normal lap, instead going down the left-hand side where Piastri on pole and Verstappen in third will start from.
Norris, who started from second in the 2023 Qatar GP Sprint and dropped to sixth, says his side of the grid is “a lot worse” in terms of grip.
Where has second place driver ended up after first sector in Qatar?
Event
Driver
Position
2021 GP
Pierre Gasly
2nd
2023 Sprint
Lando Norris
6th
2023 GP
George Russell
Collision
2024 Sprint
George Russell
3rd
2024 GP
Max Verstappen
1st
2025 Sprint
George Russell
2nd
“We will see how my start is. Hopefully they clean the right side a bit more! I will just have to maximise what I’ve been doing,” he said.
“It’s a long run. There are always opportunities but I don’t think it will be a race full of opportunities. Hopefully I’m proved wrong and it’s a chaotic race.”
Chadwick on whether Norris has start disadvantage
Sky Sports F1’s Jamie Chadwick
“I think now we have had a lot of support races, we had the F1 Sprint so it might not be as much of a factor as we think.”
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Highlights from the F1 Sprint at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix
The pole-sitter has won seven of the last eight races this season and overtaking in Saturday’s Sprint in Qatar proved difficult due to the high-speed corners which make it hard to follow, plus the aerodynamics on the current F1 cars creating lots of dirty air.
Piastri dominated the Sprint and is hoping to repeat that performance on Sunday to take at least seven points out of Norris’ championship advantage.
The Australian said: “Keeping the lead helps a lot in terms of the clean air. Everything was under control in the Sprint, so I will try to get a good start again and hopefully more of the same.”
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Watch as Piastri claims a stunning pole for the Qatar GP
McLaren have the car to beat, so Verstappen could be very aggressive at the start, knowing he must finish ahead of Norris to keep his championship hopes alive.
Verstappen says he will need “a bit of luck” to win the race, which features a 25-lap tyre limit due to tyre concerns, meaning there will be a minimum of two pit stops.
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Max Verstappen shared his disappointment regarding the limitations of his car after qualifying in third place for the Qatar GP
He said: “The start can be quite important. We will try to have a good one but, at the same time, you never know what happens in a race.
“Some things are not in your control. Some crazy things can happen behind you, so you need to keep everything open.”
Sky Sports F1’s Qatar GP schedule
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Qatar Grand Prix
Sunday November 30
11.55am: F2 Feature Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted’s Notebook
Formula 1’s thrilling title race continues with the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday at 4pm (build-up from 2.30pm, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
