2025 Qatar Grand Prix sprint, race and qualifying times, how to watch and previous winner

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Formula 1 is headed to Lusail for the penultimate race of the 2025 season, with the drivers’ championship hotting up. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen won the previous Las Vegas Grand Prix at the start of the final triple header, ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell, to keep himself in the 2025 championship fight.

Shortly after the podium celebrations had ended, the FIA revealed it was investigating both McLaren cars for a plank-wear infringement, with Norris and Oscar Piastri later disqualified from the race in Sin City.

The disqualification meant that Verstappen is now tied with Piastri on points, after closing a 104-point gap to the Aussie since the Dutch Grand Prix.

Norris still leads the championship heading into the final two races, but the disappointing result for McLaren in Vegas reduced his lead from 30 points to 24.

When is the Qatar Grand Prix? Full schedule and UK/Australia timings

The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix weekend is set to take place between the 28th and 30th of November, with the main race starting at 7pm track time on Sunday.

It is the final Sprint race of the 2025 season, which will take place at 5pm on Saturday 29th November, with qualifying starting at 9pm later in the day.

How to watch the Qatar Grand Prix, including free highlights

The exact details on how to watch the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix for your specific country can be found on the Formula 1 website. Many territories will be able to watch the race via F1 TV although this feature isn’t available for countries such as the UK, France and Spain.

UK viewers can watch the Qatar Grand Prix on Sky Sports Main Event, with additional coverage, including practice and qualifying, available on the Sky Sports F1 channel. NowTV customers with the Sky Sports package will also be able to view the race and extra coverage live.

Free to watch highlights of the Lusail race are available to watch on Channel 4 at 9pm on Sunday 30th November.

Australian viewers can watch the Qatar Grand Prix through the Kayo streaming platform, or on Fox Sports with Foxtel.

Formula 1 will also share race highlights for the Qatar Grand Prix on its YouTube channel on the Monday following the race.

What is the starting grid for the Qatar Grand Prix?

Gabriel Bortoleto is the only driver carrying a penalty over from the previous Las Vegas Grand Prix, after a crash with Lance Stroll at the start of the race. Bortoleto made a late lunge down the inside of the Aston Martin at Turn 1, which resulted in multiple cars being spun or having to take avoiding action.

The Sauber driver suffered damage, which saw him retire from the race before a penalty was decided. Because of the retirement, the punishment was moved to the Qatar race, where he will face a five-place grid penalty.

What is the weather forecast for the Qatar Grand Prix?

Early forecasts indicate that the Qatar Grand Prix will be dry with high temperatures of 28°C. It is unsurprising weather conditions for Lusail, with the night race seeing highs of 24°C.

There is no chance of rain all weekend, with a gentle breeze of around 11mph in the earlier afternoon sessions.

What is the Pirelli tyre allocation for the Qatar Grand Prix?

Pirelli have announced that the hardest compound tyres will be used at the Qatar Grand Prix, including the C1 hards, C2 mediums and C3 softs. The tyre supplier also revealed that there will be a maximum of 25 laps per tyre set at the race around the Lusail International Circuit due to the demanding nature of the track.

Pirelli said that the FIA and Formula 1 agreed that, because of high levels of thermal stress and wear, drivers will need to stop at least twice during the race.

The decision was made after analysis of the tyres used in 2024, with a similar precautionary measure used the previous year. Pirelli recently found that the front left tyres in particular suffered from maximum levels of wear and has implemented the mandatory laps to avoid extending the tyres past their usefulness.

Where is the Qatar Grand Prix held?

The Qatar Grand Prix is held around the 5.419 km (3.367 mi) Lusail International Circuit. The track was originally built in 2004, but didn’t host its inaugural F1 race until 2021 when it was the third to last race of the year.

A grand prix was not held in the 2022 season due to the FIFA World Cup, with the track undergoing a major renovation before 2023 to increase the fan capacity from 8,000 to 52,000.

The Qatar Grand Prix became the fourth night race in F1, including Singapore, Bahrain and Sakhir, before Vegas also joined the calendar in 2023.

Who won the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen is the most successful driver around the track, having taken two victories consecutively in 2023 and 2024.

The Dutchman has dominated around the circuit, including last year’s race in Lusail. Verstappen qualified in pole position but lost his spot after a one-place penalty.

The Red Bull driver took the lead into Turn 1, but the race saw three safety car periods, with the second seeing Norris closing in to try and take the lead.

Verstappen held onto the front position to take the chequered flag, with Norris losing his podium finish after a 10-second stop/go penalty for a yellow flag infringement.