That mistake saw Norris, who finished second on the Strip, miss out on 18 points as the victorious Verstappen drew level with Piastri.
- Norris – 396 points
- Piastri – 374 points
- Verstappen – 371 points
Norris can still be confirmed as champion on Sunday, though he will have to do things the hard way after a mistake in qualifying led to the abandonment of his final lap and Piastri taking pole position at the Lusail International Circuit as he looks to take the title fight down to the final weekend in Abu Dhabi.
How can Lando Norris win F1 title this weekend?
Norris will be crowned champion if he outscores Piastri by four points, and finishes ahead of Verstappen in any position, in Sunday’s main event.
The top-10 finishers in a grand prix earn points, with the winner picking up 25 points, second place 18 points, third place 15 points, fourth place 12 points and then at two-point intervals until ninth gets two points and 10th gets one point.
Still in the fight: Oscar Piastri
AFP via Getty Images
The title race landscape is far clearer following the Qatar sprint race, in which Piastri converted his pole position into a comfortable victory to reduce Norris’ advantage at the top to 22 points with 50 to play for.
Norris finished third, while Verstappen made up two places to take the chequered flag in fourth.
However, the Red Bull driver now trails Norris by 25 points. George Russell started and ended the 19-lap dash in second for Mercedes.
