Qatar GP: McLaren's 2025 safety car gamble, and the 2026 race time in the UAE
Verstappen won at Lusail last year after McLaren stayed out under the safety car; this year it is the penultimate round.
The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix came down to one decision on lap seven. After Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly collided, the safety car came out and almost the whole field pitted, but McLaren kept Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris out, The Race reported.
The call mattered because Pirelli had set a 25-lap maximum stint for the 57-lap race, which made a stop under the safety car very attractive. Max Verstappen took it, and once the McLarens made their stops on laps 24 and 25 he was in control.
Verstappen won by eight seconds from Piastri, with Carlos Sainz third for Williams, Norris fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth. Norris still led the championship, 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of Piastri, sending the title fight to Abu Dhabi.
In 2026 Qatar is a normal weekend with no sprint, per Oversteer48. The 57-lap race starts at 7pm local time on Sunday 29 November, which is 8pm in the UAE.
One week later the season ends at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday 6 December, the closest pair of races of the year for fans travelling from the UAE.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026Race day Sun 6 Dec · Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: The Race, Oversteer48
