Sunday Debrief: Verstappen Wins the Qatar GP as Norris Penalty Delays McLarens Championship Hopes

Verstappen wins the Qatar Grand Prix, while McLaren fail to close the constructor’s championship after a choppy penultimate race to the season.

 

Sprint

Lando Norris took sprint pole for Saturdays Sprint, accompanied by George Russell on the front row ahead of Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren. From the pitlane, Sergio Perez started ahead of Franco Colapinto. Going through the first set of corners, Norris broke away from the pack as Piastri slipped his way past the Mercedes and up into P2. Meanwhile from the pitlane, Colapinto made a pass on Perez on their way onto the grid, Perez taking a while to get himself going.

 

By the end of the first lap, Hamilton who started from P7, made his way past Gasly and Leclerc and up into P5. Later in the race on lap 13, Leclerc and Hamilton would go wheel to wheel at turn 1, making contact before Leclerc pulled away and swiped the P5 position from his teammate next season.

 

Red Bull making up no ground with Perez, pitted the Mexican driver in the final stages of the sprint, Red Bull using the final stages for testing ahead of the afternoons qualifying session, putting a new front wing on the Bull.

 

Russell remained close to the rear wing of Piastri throughout the race, the pair coming close on numerous occasions. No longer in contention for the championship, Norris played the team game and dropped pace to give the benefit of DRS to his teammate, who fought to defend off Russell in the more powerful Mercedes. With one final lap in the race, Russell made his final attempt at a lunge at Piastri, frustration in Russell’s driving as he failed to clear Piastri. As they rounded off the final corners, Norris suddenly slowed to reverse the order of the McLaren 1-2, Norris giving the win to Piastri as a thank you for São Paulo.

 

Qualifying

Alpine ran the new upgrades this weekend on Gasly’s car, the difference evident on qualifying as Ocon qualified at the back of the grid in P20, with his teammate in P11, Gasly having also been in better form in qualifying over the last couple races without the upgrades. Red Bull used the sprint as a test for the new front wing, the switch proved to be just what Red Bull needed at this track as Verstappen clutched pole position in the final seconds of qualifying, while Perez qualified in P9 his highest since Baku 3 months earlier.

 

Russell qualified for the second time this weekend in P2, however, was promoted up to pole for the race, while Hamilton finished again behind his teammate in P6, Mercedes clearly having the pace leaving the questions on Hamilton’s recent qualifying form. The two McLarens locked out the third row ahead of the two Ferrari’s, McLaren needing to finish 45 points ahead of the Ferrari’s to take the constructors’ championship this weekend.

 

Race

Going into turn 1 it was a better get away for Russell, but it was Verstappen who took the lead of the race after Norris made it an intense three-way battle for the lead going into turn 1. Verstappen was able to hold off Norris, while Russell conceded another place at the start to Norris, dropping from pole to P3.

 

Turn 1 was a chaotic one across the grid, in the midfield Albon was spun after contact from Stroll. At the back of the grid, Hulkenberg instigated the yellow flag and then the safety car. Hulkenberg not having enough grip on the hard tyres and going into Ocon who dominoed into Colapinto, resulting in the Alpine and Williams being forced to retire out of the race, while the Haas made its way back to the pits.

 

The safety car ended at the end of lap 5, with Verstappen controlling the restart. Verstappen defending the lead into turn 1 from Norris, while Piastri from behind made a move on Leclerc to move up to P4, meanwhile at the back Lawson made contact with Bottas, causing the RB to go off track before re-joining the track. Lawson being noted by the stewards and picking up a 10-second penalty for the incident.

 

Stroll was third on the long list of retirements this weekend, coming into the pits on lap 7 whilst he was handed a 10-second penalty for the collision with Albon. Aston Martin choosing to serve the penalty before retiring Stroll from the race, sending Stroll for another lap on a new set of tyres.

 

Mercedes brought Russell in to pit on lap 24, Russell’s race going from bad to worse in the matter of seconds after he was left stationary for 7 seconds after the pit crew failed to get the right rear tyre off.

 

After running a few laps with debris and a wing mirror stranded on the start/finish straight, the stewards finally brought out the safety car on lap 36. The late decision coming after Bottas ran over the mirror on lap 36, and a puncture for both Sainz and Hamilton.

 

The safety car made its return to the pits on lap 39 with 18 laps left in the race. Verstappen and Norris going wheel-to-wheel into the first corner, Verstappen defending off Norris and holding onto the lead. The restart not lasting long as Perez lost drive in his Red Bull, forcing him to become the fourth retirement of the race, followed by Hulkenberg who beached his Haas, making him the fifth retirement of the race, and causing the safety car for the second time in this race.

 

With 15 laps remaining, the race resumed for the final time on lap 42 Verstappen getting away without a fight this time round, and it was Norris who was under pressure from Leclerc. Leclerc was eventually promoted up into P2 after Norris was handed a 10-second stop and go penalty for failing to slow under the yellow flag. Norris serving the penalty on lap 46, sending him to the back of the grid, Norris was still able to put in a stella drive to move back up into the points, knocking Bottas out in doing so.

 

To conclude a choppy race in Qatar, Albon was next on the hit list for a 10-second penalty for causing a collision, the list ending with Russell who received a 5-second penalty for a safety car infringement.

 

As the crossed the line the 4-time world champion was the first to see the flag, followed by Leclerc and Piastri. McLaren not walking away this weekend with the title, Ferrari bringing the battle closer with Leclerc in P2 and Sainz in P6 after being held up by Gasly. Driver of the Day was handed to Zhou, who scored his first points of the season and the first for Suber this season, with 4 points in the bank after finishing in P8.

 

It was another disastrous race for Hamilton in his penultimate race with the silver arrows. Hamilton first receiving a 5-second penalty for a false start, Hamilton owning up to the mistake and apologising to the team over the radio. A puncture halfway through the race, sent Hamilton to the back of the grid, just ahead of his old teammate Valtteri Bottas. Luck not going Hamilton’s way in the closing stages of the season in contrast to his teammate, Hamilton commenting “trust me to have this luck”. The race only continued to get worse for Hamilton after he was noted for speeding in the pit lane, resulting in a drive through penalty, which he served on lap 48. Hamilton pleading with the team to retire out of the race, which the team declined.