Lewis Hamilton was left shocked by Max Verstappen’s Qatar Grand Prix win, which has blown the Formula 1 title battle wide open going into the season finale.
Verstappen cruised to victory at the Lusail International Circuit on Sunday after a McLaren strategy gaffe left Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri stranded.
The Dutchman’s seventh win of the season sees him close the gap in the standings to leader Norris to just 12 points heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi.
The Red Bull driver needs to make it eight wins in 2025 and hope Norris finishes outside the top three to seal a fifth consecutive title.
Hamilton, who continued to struggle with Ferrari’s troubled SF-25 challenger in Qatar, however, was left surprised by the 28-year-old’s charge.
“How’s Max 12 behind now?” enquired the seven-time F1 Champion, who revealed he was not able to keep tabs on the race given a dearth of screens on track.
When informed about Verstappen’s victory, he exclaimed to media including Motorsport Week: “Max won? Oh sh*t, I didn’t know, I had no idea!
“Holy sh*t! Wow! I thought Piastri won… Well, that’s exciting! It goes right to the last – to the wire.”
Hamilton praises Verstappen amid points turnaround
Hamilton himself is no stranger to an epic title showdown, given his own experiences with the Red Bull driver at Abu Dhabi in 2021.
The Briton heaped praise on the 28-year-old, especially in the context of how he, along with Red Bull, was able to mount a sensational comeback to close a 104-point deficit.
“We all know Max does a great job,” added Hamilton.
“I think he’s got a phenomenal team behind him, there’s no denying that the best car really over the last four years, and maybe less so the beginning of this year.
“But they somehow came back. He’s obviously got a great car, but he does an amazing job with it. So fair play to him.”
READ MORE – McLaren won’t prioritise Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi GP to resist Max Verstappen F1 title threat
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