Behaviour expert analyses Oscar Piastri after McLaren 'own goal' - International media reacts

Max Verstappen seized on McLaren's strategic blunder at the Qatar Grand Prix to take victory under the lights at the Lusail International Circuit.

Oscar Piastri had to settle for second, having dominated the weekend up to that point, causing a 14-point swing with the Dutchman in the F1 drivers' championship standings.

Lando Norris, who is still leading the charge, could only finish fourth as a result of the papaya team's dreadful misread of the situation when the safety car came out on lap seven.

Kimi Antonelli's late mistake has triggered a storm and extensive unacceptable abuse, which has seen multiple statements issued.

Red Bull confirmed Verstappen's team-mate and its Racing Bulls line-up would be announced on Tuesday, but the decision is already being widely reported.

Here is how media from around the world reacted to the 23rd round of the F1 season, the Qatar Grand Prix.

🇬🇧 The Times - McLaren gaffe costs Norris — and allows Verstappen to 'fight to the end'

British broadsheet newspaper The Times focused on McLaren's strategic blunder that cost Piastri victory and Norris a podium.

It built the article around what Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, told the Dutchman over team radio, saying: "We will fight to the end, mate."

The miscalculation from the Woking-based squad also means the Red Bull driver overtook Piastri in the standings as the closest challenger to Norris, with only the final round in Abu Dhabi to come.

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf - Final: Isack Hadjar new teammate of Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda disappears from the scene

Fittingly, the news cycle in F1 moves fast, and Dutch paper De Telegraaf has covered the decision Red Bull has made over its 2026 driver pairings.

The news is expected to be officially announced on Tuesday, 2nd December, but it has been unearthed that Isack Hadjar will partner Verstappen at the main team, with Liam Lawson being joined at Racing Bulls by Arvid Lindblad.

Yuki Tsunoda is anticipated to be the driver on the outside looking in, having struggled in the RB21 since being promoted two rounds into the season. 

🇪🇸 El País - McLaren scores an own goal and takes the World Championship to Abu Dhabi

Spanish publication El País also addressed McLaren's seventh-lap misjudgement, calling it an "own goal" and highlighting that it helped extend the drivers' title fight to Abu Dhabi.

It also focused on how Zak Brown, the team's CEO, has apologised for the mistake, something team principal Andrea Stella has also done, with the Woking-based squad taking responsibility for the error.

The maths is clear for Norris. Third place will be enough to seal the title, regardless of where Verstappen or Piastri finish.

🇮🇹 La Gazzetta dello Sport - Playing chess with the future: who is Schmitz, the Red Bull strategist pushing Max to another World Championship?

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has shone light on Hannah Schmitz, the Red Bull strategist responsible for the decision to bring Verstappen in on lap seven.

That call was the race-winning one, and Schmitz stayed true to her conviction whilst McLaren blinked — and it might just determine the outcome of the championship.

"Obviously, on that in lap, we're hearing 'McLaren are staying out'. Everyone was like, 'Are you sure? Are you sure you want to pit?' I said, 'Yes, I really think so'," Schmitz said after the race.

🇩🇪 BILD - Formula 1 feud between Mercedes and Red Bull escalates

German publication BILD covered the contentious fallout that happened in the paddock after Antonelli's late-race mistake let Norris through for fourth.

Helmut Marko suggested it was intentional, and Toto Wolff called his compatriot "brainless" in response.

The consequence — and not helped by Marko's comments nor that of Verstappen's engineer Lambiase — is that Antonelli has been subjected to online abuse and death threats.

Statements have been made by the FIA and Red Bull, and Marko has walked back his prior remarks.

🇦🇺 Herald Sun - 'Absolutely furious': Oscar Piastri hug broken down by behaviour expert

Australian tabloid The Herald Sun has reported on a behaviourist analysing Oscar Piastri's response to being hugged by Zak Brown as he apologised to his driver for the strategic blunder in Qatar.

The nine-time grand prix winner said he "can’t ask for more than that" after the apology, but his body language was perhaps more telling.

"My understanding of these drivers is that they’re almost psychopathic in their approach, in that they don’t have a shock response," leading behaviour expert Dr Mahler told news.com.au, according to the newspaper.

"He’s normally very calm and doesn’t show any reaction, so what he’s doing here is an incredible reaction; he must be absolutely furious...

"He won’t reciprocate the hug, and then he’s looking bottom left, which is often seen as addressing internal emotional voices. He’s discussing angry thoughts with himself.

"He turns away and bears his bottom teeth, which is enormous aggression. Then he grabs his throat, which is a depiction of anxiety. He grabs his hat again anxiety, a lot of twitches of anxiety and anger as he continues on. That’s what I see."