Max Verstappen has sent a clear warning to Lando Norris ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix as the title race heats up.
On Sunday afternoon, the lights will go out for the penultimate race of the 2025 Formula One season at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.
With championship leader Norris, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and reigning champion Verstappen all in contention for the title going into the race, tensions are higher than ever.
Saturday's qualifying session saw Piastri secure pole position for Sunday's race, closely followed by Norris and Verstappen, meaning all three title contenders will start the race at the front.
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But before the race has even started, Verstappen has issued a stark warning to both of his title rivals ahead of the first lap.
With Verstappen currently 25 points behind Norris in the Drivers' Championship standings, the Dutchman cannot afford to finish the Qatar Grand Prix behind the Brit if he hopes to say in the title race.
And it's clear that the four-time champion is aware of this fact, as he explained his plans for Sunday's race in a meeting with the media following qualifying.
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“Well, if I don’t pass him, then he scores more points than me,” Verstappen admitted.
“We’ll try everything we can. Start, Turn 1, all the laps.”
Verstappen's plans to go all out in the race from the very start will not be good news for Norris who just needs to finish in the top 3 for both the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in order to secure the 2025 title.
But a motivated Verstappen with nothing to lose and everything to gain could prove dangerous for Norris, with a collision between the pair potentially handing the title to Piastri.
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Should Verstappen make it past Norris before the end of the race then he will remain in contention for the title in the final race of the season at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit, where he won his first title in 2021.
But doing so may prove to be difficult as the Red Bull has struggled with porpoising throughout this weekend, something that Verstappen spoke out about after qualifying.
“It’s quite hard to know exactly what is going to happen,” Verstappen added.
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“I was hoping, of course, for it to be better. But unfortunately it still stands out a bit and, of course, when you have that kind of limitation, plus in general, in race pace, tyres overheating and stuff, we’re not the best."
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Motorsport
Ben McCrum