The 2025 race was the penultimate round of the season and had a massive impact on the Drivers' World Championship. Max Verstappen's win, combined with championship leader Lando Norris only finishing fourth, dramatically closed the gap in the Drivers' Championship. The title battle is now a three-way fight between Norris, Verstappen and Piastri heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Costly mistake
On Lap 7, a collision between Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber) brought out the Safety Car. McLaren's decision not to pit both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris under an early Safety Car was widely criticized as a key strategic error. Most other cars pitted, which played perfectly into Verstappen's hands.
Oscar Piastri, who started on pole and won the earlier Sprint Race and was on track for a potential win before the Safety Car, finished P2 but was "speechless" and "furious" post-race, feeling a likely victory had been snatched away. Lando had a difficult race, losing out on the start and then dropping to P5 after his final stop. He fought back, making a crucial late-race pass on Kimi Antonelli on the penultimate lap to secure P4, which significantly helped his championship hopes.
Williams win win situation
Williams' Carlos Sainz drove an excellent race. Starting P7, Sainz had a superb start, quickly jumping two cars and was then expertly strategized to benefit from the Safety Car. The team's fast pit work was key, allowing him to leapfrog Antonelli into P4 (before the McLarens pitted). He held P3 until the end.
Both Antonelli (P5) and George Russell (P6) capitalized on the early Safety Car pit stop to put themselves in contention for a big points haul. Sainz's podium and the points haul officially secured 5th place in the World Constructors' Championship for Williams, their best finish since 2016.
Retirement train
Charles Leclerc struggled with balance all weekend. His P8 finish was only good for 4 points and his teammate Lewis Hamilton (P12) had a very difficult weekend like all season, failing to make it out of Q1 in Saturday's Qualifying and ultimately finishing outside the points in P12, one place behind his teammate.
Three other drivers such as Oliver Bearman (Haas) retired on Lap 43, Isack Hadjar (Visa Cash App Racing Bulls) retired on Lap 56 and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) retired on Lap 56. The mandatory 25-lap limit on tire stints, enforced by Pirelli, was also a non-stop talking point for all the strategists and ultimately made the Safety Car moment absolutely crucial for the race outcome.
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