Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

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Lando Norris was on provisional pole after the first runs in the final session of qualifying, having edged Oscar Piastri by just 0.035 seconds.

Through Turn One on their final runs, Norris believed he had already gained 0.1secs on his previous best, and was feeling good. But the lap went awry at the next corner.

The front of the car lost grip, and kept losing grip, and Norris had to abort to prevent going off the track.

That opened the door for Piastri, who ran thorough it with gusto to take pole by 0.108secs.

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McLaren's Lando Norris starts in P2: "I've always enjoyed it here and there has always been some good races and hopefully we can put on a good show for everyone."

On the race and team spirit: "All good, I'm excited to get going. It's always just a cool event here, I like night races and they are always more fun.

"Two races to go so it's getting exciting for everyone, but it's normal stuff, head down and keep focus."

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The smile was wide and bright on the face of Lando Norris as he arrived in the paddock earlier on, so he's looking relaxed before his big day in Doha.

So, what does the 26-year-old need to do to become world champion for the first time?

If Norris finishes 26 points or more ahead of Oscar Piastri after the race in Qatar and also at least 25 points in front of Max Verstappen he will win the title.

His easiest route to glory is overtaking Piastri and winning the grand prix tonight.

If he doesn't win, he can still clinch the title in Qatar if he outscores Piastri by at least four points and finishes ahead of Verstappen.

Should that not happen the championship fight will go on to the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In the constructors' championship, Mercedes' double podium in Las Vegas has edged them one step closer to grabbing the runners-up spot in the 2025 standings. The Silver Arrows are 41 points clear of Red Bull in third, who in turn are 22 points ahead of fourth-placed Ferrari.

In the midfield, Aston Martin have moved above Haas and into seventh place after Fernando Alonso's points finish in Saturday's final sprint race of the season. The advantage is only one point, however, two-time world champion Alonso is starting inside the top 10 once again in eighth spot.

Racing Bulls in sixth have a small cushion of 16 points between themselves and Aston Martin but their driver Isack Hadjar made another Q3 appearance in his rookie campaign and will start sixth in Qatar.

Oscar Piastri's sprint win yesterday shaved two points off Lando Norris' title advantage but the Briton is still in control of his own destiny before we go racing in Qatar tonight, as he's 22 points clear of the Australian with two races remaining and 50 points left to play for.

Third-placed Max Verstappen is 25 points behind Norris but the Dutchman has won the past two grands prix here. Last year's edition saw him triumph from second on the grid (demoted from pole) after a penalty for Norris.

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Champagne will be popped tonight, that's a given on a grand prix weekend, but will it be race winner bubbly or world champion fizz?

What are your predictions for the title fight in Qatar?

Do you think Lando Norris is going to wrap up his maiden trophy with one race to spare?

Can Oscar Piastri win from pole to take the battle to Abu Dhabi?

Will Max verstappen's title experience count at the crucial moment?

Send us your thoughts and feelings by clicking the 'Get Involved' button on the page.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist

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Hello, folks. We could be crowning a new world champion by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend. Lando Norris has a couple of fingers on the trophy and if things go his way after 57 laps - and the mandatory two pit stops - the title will be his.

Lights out in Doha is at 16:00 GMT.

While Norris is starting on the front row today, his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took the main seat in qualifying on Saturday. Fresh from his victory in the sprint race, The Australian showed his one-lap pace around the Lusail circuit again to beat championship rivals Norris and Max Verstappen to the punch.

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Four-time world champion Verstappen is lining up third on the grid and has to finish above Norris to keep his hopes of a fifth consecutive crown alive.

A bit of admin before we start: Franco Colapinto is starting from the pit lane again, as Alpine opted to make set-up changes to his car under parc ferme conditions. The Argentine driver was due to start from the back anyway, so no great impact in the grand scheme of things.

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