McLaren's 'gift' for Max sets up final showdown – 2025 Qatar GP Review with Jolyon Palmer + Paul Aron
F1 Nation
Formula 1
4.3 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 1 December 2025
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The guys talk about the decisive moment of the Qatar Grand Prix, when everyone except both McLaren drivers pitted under the Safety Car and Max Verstappen took full advantage to ensure the championship fight goes down to the season-finale in Abu Dhabi.
What was McLaren’s thinking behind that strategy? Why did it cost them victory? And how should they have reacted differently?
Tom, Jolyon and Paul also discuss why Oscar Piastri was back to his best in Qatar and why Lando Norris wasn’t quite at the level he’s shown in recent weeks.
And with just 16 points now separating Lando, Max and Oscar, what will their mindset be in the build-up to this mouth-watering title showdown at the Yas Marina Circuit?
Also on the agenda: Carlos Sainz’s incredible performance to secure his second podium for Williams, another weekend to forget for Ferrari and a strong result for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin following the news that Adrian Newey will become their Team Principal in 2026.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Unshae, Ileperts Town, Christmas means one thing. |
| 0:03.5 | Rossioc at its very best, where champions meet challengers and Korja reunite. |
| 0:08.9 | From Nullig 26th to 29th, the biggest names August Nicopolis Far, take to one of jump racing's most iconic stages. |
| 0:16.8 | Ock, nis stoppin on crack on shin. |
| 0:19.0 | It's a celebration that will have the crowds, Igdausa, long after the final race. |
| 0:23.9 | Unwrap the magic of racing at Leopardstown Christmas Festival. |
| 0:27.3 | Visit leopardstown.com. |
| 0:29.5 | Nulleghanadeev. |
| 0:34.1 | Max Vestappan will not be moved. |
| 0:37.1 | He heads to Abu Dhabi with a fighting chance still to win it all. |
| 0:43.1 | Leaving from this weekend, Max is the guy with all the candy. He's very happy. And Lando is the kid with no candy. He's very sad. |
| 0:52.4 | McLaren just didn't guess what anyone else would do. |
| 0:55.3 | They wanted to keep it fair between the two drivers. That's the only explanation I could give it. |
| 0:59.2 | It shouldn't be reactionary. They have to make their own decision and they've just called it |
| 1:03.1 | massively wrong. |
| 1:04.9 | Specious. I don't know any words. |
| 1:08.1 | You've done everything as close to perfect as possible and you're expecting that back from the team as well, and you don't get it. A thing that is very hard to accept. The mental pressures are all on Lando. They've been etching his name in it, and then they scrub it out and say, oh, if this could be anyone's now. When someone smells blood in Formula One, your life gets much more difficult. |
| 1:27.9 | It's Max, and he just has this aura. He doesn't make mistakes. |
| 1:30.9 | He's living rent-free in everybody's heads. |
| 1:33.4 | The other big question is, if Max is winning and Lando's fifth, if Oscar's ahead, |
| 1:38.3 | would Oscar now actually help him beat Max in the championship? |
| 1:44.5 | Welcome to the Lusail International Circuit for F1 Nation's review of a gripping Qatar Grand Prix, |
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