Red Bull’s lead driver Max Verstappen has kept up his hopes of a fifth consecutive Driver’s Championship after winning the Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s victory at the Lusail International Circuit means that he has closed the gap going into next weekend’s F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, with the Dutchman entering the final race of the 2025 F1 season 12 points behind championship leader Lando Norris.
The Dutchman is one of three drivers who can still win the title, with Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri also viable contenders.
Meanwhile, teammate Yuki Tsunoda picked up a points finish, with the Japanese driver finishing 10th.
Red Bull remain third in the Constructor’s Championship, with the Milton Keynes-based team entering the season finale 33 points behind second-place Mercedes and 44 ahead of fourth place Ferrari.
After Verstappen had finished behind Norris at the end of Saturday’s sprint race, the Dutchman entered the full distance Qatar Grand Prix knowing that if he finished behind Norris, his title hopes would be over.
Verstappen overtook Norris to move into second place on the opening lap, with the two drivers staying in position for the first phase of the race.
The pivotal moment came on lap 7, when Pierre Gasly and Nico Hulkenberg collided as the Sauber attempted to pass the Alpine. This triggered a safety car.
F1’s tyre makers Pirelli had said pre-race that all tyres had a finite lifespan of 25 laps, meaning that pitting during the safety car would see all drivers who did so know they had to run to lap 32, and then another 25 to the end of the race.
As a result, Verstappen and Tsunoda both came into the box, with 16 of the 19 cars choosing to come in. Crucially, two of those who chose to stay out were McLaren pair Piastri and Norris, who would come in to the pits around lap 24 and 25 as previously planned.
This choice meant that Verstappen was able to put together a strategy meeting Pirelli’s tyre guidance, with the McLarens unable to catch up after making both stops at full racing speed, and Verstappen duly took the flag to win the Qatar Grand Prix for the third year in a row.
Going into the final race, Verstappen will win the championship if he wins the race and Norris fails to finish on the podium, although all manner of other permutations could see him become champion. Norris was able to pick up 2 extra points late on after taking 4th with a late overtake on Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
As for Tsunoda, the second Red Bull had been on course to finish 12th when the grid settled after the first round of pit-stops, but he was bumped up places when first Ollie Bearman’s race was ruined by a problem at Haas’ second stop, and then when Isack Hadjar suffered race-ending car damage in the final stages of the race.
The final round of the season takes place this weekend, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix closing the 2025 season. The race will be the first time that F1 has a title deciding final race since 2021, when Verstappen won his first championship, and the first time more than two drivers enter the final race with a chance to win the championship since 2010, when Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won in a four-way duel to take the title.
Paul Warne praised the performance and result as his MK Dons teams saw off the challenge of Fleetwood Town at Stadium MK.
Warne spoke after his side recorded a 2-1 victory over the Cod Army at Stadium MK, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Callum Paterson scoring the goals to help them to pick up the points.
The result was the Dons’ fourth straight home win in League Two games, as part of a greater sequence of 1 defeat in 9 overall that has helped the Dons climb into the league’s automatic promotion places.
Reflecting afterwards, Warne said that he felt his team’s performance met his expectations.
He said, “I liked us today. Even if we would’ve conceded late on, I think it would’ve been harsh on my team and would’ve been disappointed, but I wouldn’t have been disappointed with the performance.
“I just thought we created loads of opportunities today and chances to score. The lads have given everything physically, which obviously we expect, but there was a lot more play forward and forward runs against a really good and well organised team. So generally, yeah, I’m really pleased. There’s some really outstanding performances.”
The Dons were pegged back to 2-1 shortly after Nemane’s goal had put them 2-0 up, but Warne said he was delighted with how the team managed a situation that could’ve unravelled.
He said, “My initial thing at 2-1 was to look at the clock and I thought ‘Oh no’, but I thought the lads rode the time after that really well.
“Generally, really pleased with the way we defended. I just said to the lads there that you get points for the attacking stuff and goals and all that, however, the clearances, the volleys on the edge of the box late on, winning the headers, they’re the things that get you success. So that’s what pleased me the most.”
Warne was delighted with impact of substitutes Gethin Jones and Aaron Collins as they continued their return from injuries, but also said he was very pleased to have options as his side look to navigate the upcoming Christmas rush of fixtures.
He said, “The competition will be there, but it’s never about the 11 – it’s always about the squad. It’s why I’m obsessed about cultures at football clubs. Over the course of a season, everyone plays a part and you need everyone dedicated and pushing in the same direction, and they are.
“We’ll definitely lean our squad. Today, I could’ve started any wing-back, 2 of our 3 strikers, changed the midfield at any time, at the moment, we do have variation in our team selection, but whoever gets the shirt has to perform at a level to keep it. If the lads who come in next week that may not have played as much are better than the lads who played today, then I’m more than happy for them to keep the shirt. That’s what it should be like and at the moment is how it feels like.”
Victory maintains the Dons’ place in the upper end of League Two, albeit in a very compressed division where leaders Walsall are just ten points clear of 13th place Fleetwood.
Reflecting on the nature of it, Warne said, “It’s mayhem.
“Normally, the teams at the top are used to winning and teams at the bottom are used to losing. But this year, it’s the same in every league – Coventry are the only outlier. You’re 3 defeats from dropping 10 places and 3 victories away from being in the top 3. That’s how it feels. You just have to be relentless with your home form and pick up points away and currently, we’re being quite good.”
Gideon Kodua’s late strike saw Luton Town take a point after a 1-1 draw against fellow play-off chasers Bolton Wanderers at Kenilworth Road.
Kyle Dempsey had put the visitors into the lead in the opening ten minutes, but Bolton’s task of holding on was complicated when Xavier Simons was shown a second yellow card with 20 minutes to go.
Substitute Kodua would duly do the honours for Luton, as they salvaged a share of the points against the side who had begun the day a point above them in the League One table.
A draw keeps Luton in 7th, one place outside the play-offs and one place behind Bolton, who remain 6th in the final play-off position.
Luton arrived on the back of a midweek victory over Huddersfield, but they would end up falling behind in this contest in the opening stages.
With 8 minutes on the clock, Dempsey put Bolton in front after he received Jordi Osei-Tutu’s ball into the box and his shot on the turn found the back of the Luton net.
It took Jack Wilshere’s side time to bounce back from that, but as the game went on, they began to create opportunities. Liam Walsh saw one strike fly over and another deflected wide, while Jerry Yates couldn’t divert Jacob Brown’s cross over the line.
Amario Cozier-Duberry missed a great chance to make it 2-0 just after the break, as the Bolton winger headed wide from Osei-Tutu’s cross.
With 20 minutes to go, Bolton were reduced to 10 men, as Simons fouled home sub Kodua, earning a second booking and with it dismissal.
An equaliser would come for the Hatters with 7 minutes to go, as Kodua received a cross from fellow substitute Millenic Alli and he duly thumped in a Luton equaliser.
The Hatters did apply pressure to try and complete the comeback, but a second Luton goal just would not come and the hosts ultimately had to settle for a share of the points.
A busy period looms for the side from Bedfordshire before the resumption of League One, with Luton hosting Exeter in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night before they travel to Fleetwood Town of League 2 in the FA Cup next weekend. Luton’s next league game is at Leyton Orient on December 9.
Northampton Town picked up points on the road after a 3-0 win over 10 man Plymouth Argyle in Devon.
Tom Eaves, Elliot List and Jordan Willis scored the goals for Northampton as they won at Home Park against a Plymouth side who had seen Lorent Tolaj sent off between their first two goals.
Victory was Northampton’s first away win over Argyle since 2016, with the result seeing the Cobblers move up to 14th in the League One table. They are now 7 points clear of the relegation zone and 5 off the play-offs.
Northampton’s last away win had come at Doncaster in mid-October, and they almost suffered some early away day misery when Plymouth’s top scorer Tolaj headed into the side netting in the early moments.
Kevin Nolan’s side then thought they had been given the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot. The referee initially awarded Northampton a spot-kick for a foul on Terry Taylor in the box, but then u-turned after a consultation with the linesman and the penalty award was rescinded.
There were plenty of further chances in the first half, with Plymouth’s Bali Mumba firing wide in a one-on-one with Northampton keeper Ross Fitzsimons before Ethan Wheatley saw a header glance off the post at the other end.
Wheatley would come close a few moments after the restart, as his driving shot bounced back off the post.
But a goal would come for the Cobblers a few moments later. In front of the travelling fans, Perkins’ cross picked out Eaves, who duly headed past Conor Hazard to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
There would soon be more misery for a Plymouth side that have made a poor start to life in League One, as their top scorer Tolaj was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident where he looked to hit Northampton defender Michael Forbes.
Against 10, the Cobblers duly added two more goals to make the points even more secure. The second came when List, who had just come on, tapped in from Perkins’ cross.
Defender Willis then made it 3-0, scoring a first competitive goal in 6 years after he headed in from Taylor’s corner.
The Cobblers’ attentions now turn to the EFL Trophy, with Northampton playing fellow League One outfit Wycombe on Tuesday night. Their next league game is on December 9th, when they welcome Huddersfield to Sixfields.
A man from Luton has been fined for dumping rubbish illegally in Milton Keynes.
Following an investigation by Milton Keynes City Council, the case was brought to Milton Keynes Magistrates Court where the offender pleaded guilty to illegally dumping a sack containing car parts in a car park in Central Milton Keynes.
The offender has been fined a total of £1,100 in fines and costs, after the Court heard that CCTV cameras captured the vehicle being parked and the sack left on the verge.
He was fined £461 and ordered to pay the City Council’s legal and investigation costs of £486 and a victim surcharge of £184.
Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for the Public Realm, said, “We will not tolerate fly tipping in our city and take action to crack down on offenders wherever we can. In the last two years we’ve taken just under 1,000 environmental crime cases to court and issued over 9,000 Fixed Penalty Notices. We’ll continue to work with our partners to track down the offenders who disrespect our green spaces and communities.”
