Qatar Grand Prix 2025 – Weekend Guide for Indian F1 Fans
- Penultimate race of the 2025 season
- Final Sprint weekend of the year
- Title fight between Norris, Piastri and Verstappen is still alive
- Mandatory two-stop rule could explode strategies
- Prime-time viewing for Indian fans with Sprint + GP under the lights
The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail is the penultimate round of the season and the final Sprint weekend of the year. The title fight between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen is still alive, and this race could decide everything before Abu Dhabi.
Below is the full Qatar GP 2025 schedule in IST, plus what to watch out for as F1 races under the lights in Lusail.
Qatar GP 2025 Schedule in IST
🔎 Times converted from official Lusail/CET timings to India Standard Time (IST). Always double-check close to the weekend in case F1 updates the session schedule.
| Session | Date (IST) | Time (IST, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | Fri, 28 Nov 2025 | 19:00 IST |
| Sprint Qualifying | Fri, 28 Nov 2025 | 23:00 IST |
| Sprint | Sat, 29 Nov 2025 | 19:30 IST |
| Qualifying | Sat, 29 Nov 2025 | 23:30 IST |
| Grand Prix | Sun, 30 Nov 2025 | 21:30 IST |
You can watch it here: https://f1tv.formula1.com/
How to Watch in India
How to watch in India
Live coverage of the Qatar GP 2025 is available via F1’s official streaming service and regional broadcasters. Indian fans can watch:
- F1 TV Pro – official streaming with onboard cameras, live timing and replays.
- Local sports broadcasters / OTT platforms (depending on rights for 2025 in India).
Tip: Because this is a night race plus Sprint weekend, expect late-night sessions on Friday and Saturday, and a prime-time start on Sunday in India.
(Once you know exactly which broadcaster has rights for India for 2025/26, you can update this section.)
What’s at Stake in Qatar?
Championship picture
- Lando Norris leads the championship, but Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen are still close enough to turn the table in the final two rounds. Qatar, with both a Sprint and Grand Prix, offers a big points haul and could effectively decide the title before Abu Dhabi.
Constructors’ situation
- McLaren has already wrapped up the constructors’ title, but there’s still serious money and prestige on the line in the fight for P2 and P3 in the standings.
For Indian fans, this is the race where the narrative for the new technical era will start to form: who ends 2025 with momentum, and who goes into the winter under pressure.
Tyres, Mandatory Pit Stops & Strategy Chaos
Mandatory two-stop rule
Pirelli has imposed a maximum stint length of 25 laps in Qatar, effectively forcing at least two pit stops for the race due to extreme tyre loads at Lusail. This is similar to previous Qatar races where high-speed corners shredded tyres.What this means in simple terms:
- No one-stop gamble: everyone must manage multiple stints.
- Strategy is less about “saving tyres” and more about timing the stops around traffic and safety cars.
- Teams with good pit execution and clear intra-team rules will benefit.
This rule might hurt McLaren strategically as they try to manage two drivers in a title fight, while Red Bull only needs to optimise around Verstappen.
What to Watch For on Track
1. Turn 1 and opening laps
- Lusail has a long start/finish straight and a big braking zone into Turn 1. Expect bold lunges on the opening lap and restarts.
2. Sprint + Grand Prix weekend
- With both a Sprint and main race, teams get fewer clean practice laps and must commit to setups earlier.
- Cars that are easy to drive and kind on tyres usually shine in this format.
3. Night race vibes
- With cool track temperatures at night, tyre warm-up and management become tricky. Drivers who can quickly switch into “qualifying mode” on fresh tyres will have an edge in Sprint and qualifying.
🇮🇳 Why Qatar GP Matters for Indian Fans
For Indian F1 fans, the Qatar GP is perfect “prime-time” viewing:
- Late-evening Sprint and qualifying
- A Sunday race that’s watchable without staying up till 2–3 AM
It’s also the last realistic chance for the title fight to swing heavily before Abu Dhabi. If Norris or Verstappen delivers a big result here, the final race might turn into either a coronation or a sudden-death showdown.
After the race, we’ll publish a full Qatar GP reaction with winners & losers, plus how it sets up the Abu Dhabi finale.