Against all odds - against all logic - Max Verstappen and Red Bull-Honda decisively and clinically won the Qatar GP on Sunday, with McLaren-Mercedes finishing only P2-P4, sandwiching the Williams-Mercedes of Carlos Sainz. In what will be remembered as the most inexplicable strategy call of the 2025 season, both McLaren drivers were told to stay out when a Safety Car was deployed on lap seven. Thus went their chance of a "free" tyre change in a race in which the use of each set of Pirellis was uniquely limited to 25 laps. With the rest of the field switching tyres under the SC conditions, McLaren now faced a two-stop race against what had now effectively become a one-stop race for their opposition. And it was Max Verstappen who capitalised on that error - instantly and without blinking. He was quick on his second set of mediums - and he was McLaren-fast on his set of hard tyres, often surpassing Piastri's times in the first two sectors. His was a titanic win at a crucial point of the championship, for Lando Norris now goes to Abu Dhabi, the season's finale, with only a 12-point lead over Verstappen and a 16-point margin over his team-mate. In this video, Peter Windsor looks back at the key elements of an extraordinary night.
With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:
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To OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehicles
To TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage. A lite version is free; the loaded edition is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearly
https://trackninja.app
And to REC Watches, whose timepieces are infused with DNA and actual material from famous racing and road cars like the "Bullitt" Ford Mustang and Datsun 240Z featured in this video. Claim your additional 10 per cent discount by adding the code PETER:
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Images: Red Bull, Pirelli and McLaren
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No prizes for guessing the hot topics in this chat with Cameron. McLaren's Qatar strategy - or lack of it - forms the basis of the Cam-Peter interchange, with Cameron doing his best to wind up Windsor wherever possible. And Windsor, of course, takes the bait. There's also lots of Lewis and mountains of Max...so sit back, add the pumpkin spice and sip the latte.

With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:
https://jetcraft.com
To OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehicles
To TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage. A lite version is free; the loaded edition is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearly
https://trackninja.app
And to REC Watches, whose timepieces are infused with the DNA and actual materials from famous racing and road cars like the Ford Mustang GT Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the iconic move, Bullitt. Pre-order your Bullitt 558 limited-edition DNA watch from: https://recwatches.com/next-project
Thumbnail image: Red Bull
Studio background image of the 1959 Goodwood TT: Jesse Alexander
Pedro Rodriguez replica helmet courtesy Diego Merino
Visit Martin Tomlinson's art gallery @ https://www.motor-racing-art.co.uk
Thanks also to:
Alpinestars:
https://alpinestars.com
And to Oscar Razor:
Australia's highly-rated, 5-blade razors for men and women
https://oscarrazor.com.au
Follow Peter @peterdwindsor
And follow our Short Corners podcast - now on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music
We support the Race Against Dementia:
https://raceagainstdementia.com
#standwithukraine
#canada #jimmykimmel!
#cricketaustralia!
Nick: you're with us always
https://samaritans.org

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Sit back to enjoy another Max Verstappen demonstration of how it should be done - this time with a Red Bull that was virtually undriveable on Friday, so bad was its bouncing. Max struggled through to P4 in the Sprint but, after changes made to the car before qualifying, recovered to start the main race P3. That became P2 after the first corner and then P1 when the McLaren-Mercedes made their first stop for tyres. And P1 - despite the quality of the McLaren MCL39s - became the win. Simple. Or was it? We begin this video with a chat with Mark Slade, the race engineer who won races and world titles at McLaren and Mercedes. After that, it's Peter taking your questions and comments about subjects as far afield as word-portraits of Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart; the sort of speech Zak Brown will deliver if McLaren fail to win the Drivers' title; and prospects for Abu Dhabi this Sunday.

With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets:
https://jetcraft.com
To OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehicles
To TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage. A lite version is free; the loaded edition is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearly
https://trackninja.app
And to REC Watches, whose timepieces are infused with the DNA and actual materials from famous racing and road cars like the Ford Mustang GT Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the iconic move, Bullitt. Pre-order your Bullitt 558 limited-edition DNA watch from: https://recwatches.com/next-project
Thumbnail image: Red Bull
Visit Martin Tomlinson's art gallery @ https://www.motor-racing-art.co.uk
Thanks also to:
Alpinestars:
https://alpinestars.com
And to Oscar Razor:
Australia's highly-rated, 5-blade razors for men and women
https://oscarrazor.com.au
Follow Peter @peterdwindsor
And follow our Short Corners podcast - now on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music
We support the Race Against Dementia:
https://raceagainstdementia.com
#standwithukraine
#canada #jimmykimmel!
#cricketaustralia!
Nick: you're with us always
https://samaritans.org

Support the show

Visit: https://youtube.com/peterwindsor for F1 videos past, present and future