Qatar Grand Prix betting tips: Best bets and selections for penultimate race of the F1 season
There are just two races remaining in the 2025 Formula 1 season and three drivers are still in contention for the title heading into this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix.
Lando Norris leads the pack by 24 points ahead of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and defending four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who are tied on points.
This is a sprint weekend, which means there are extra points on offer for Saturday's mini-race and Norris will be looking to stretch his lead to 26 points or more to avoid the stress of a title decider in Abu Dhabi next week.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer - Get £20 in free bets
Qatar Grand Prix tips
- Tip 1 Lando Norris to win the Qatar Grand Prix @ 7/4
- Tip 2 Charles Leclerc podium finish - 3/1
- Tip 3 Nico Hulkenberg points finish - 7/4
Take Norris to get the job done
After a midseason wobble, Norris has got his act together late in the campaign, crossing the line first or second in five of the last seven races.
However, his hopes of cruising to a first world championship were dealt a blow as he and Piastri were disqualified following the Las Vegas Grand Prix for excessive wear to the skidblocks underneath their McLarens.
Running the cars too low to the ground means that instead of protecting a 42-point championship advantage, Norris has only 24 points to play with heading to Losail for the penultimate race of the championship.
That still means he can follow Verstappen or Piastri home in both remaining Grands Prix and Saturday's sprint and still be crowned champion.
The Glastonbury-born racer would rather seal it this week, though, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest he can.
Norris has been on pole position at each of the last three races, winning comfortably in Mexico City and Sao Paulo.
While he was beaten on the road by Verstappen in Vegas, this week's more conventional circuit and warmer weather should both be in Norris's favour.
Leclerc due a change of luck
This has been a miserable season by Ferrari's high standards, and while their prospects of a Grand Prix win before the end of the year look bleak, Charles Leclerc looks a decent bet at the odds for a podium finish.
The Monegasque driver has managed seven top-three finishes this year, as well as five fourth-place finishes, and he was on the podium in Texas and Mexico recently.
He qualified third in Sao Paulo before being taken out through no fault of his own and the car had good race pace in Vegas last week, but a disastrous qualifying in the rain ruined his chances of a decent result.
Leclerc looks capable of bouncing back in Qatar, where he finished second last year.
Hulkenberg value to add to his tally
It has been an up-and-down season for Nico Hulkenberg, as the German veteran finally gained his first F1 podium finish at the 239th attempt at Silverstone, but he has also struggled towards the back for much of the campaign.
He is on a decent run of form though, with three points finishes in his last four races.
His Sauber team picked up points in Qatar last year as Zhou Guanyu finished eighth, and if he can qualify on the fringes of the top ten, Hulkenberg should be in the hunt to add to his score.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer - Get £20 in free bets
*18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 4x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
Source: Read Original Article
