Qatar GP 2023
OCTOBER 7, 2023
Sprint Race Report - Piastri takes win, Verstappen wins third title
© Red Bull
By Peter Habicht
Oscar Piastri in the McLaren-Mercedes took his maiden win an eventful Sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, which saw the heavily favored Max Verstappen finish second and with the points clinch his third World Drivers’ Championship on the trot for Red Bull-Honda. The rookie Australian driver qualified P1 earlier in the day alongside teammate Lando Norris, who finished third. .
Verstappen needed to finish only sixth or better in today’s race to win the title, and found himself running as deep as fifth after a slippery start set him back early in the race. Committed to a best result, he pushed to finish ahead of Piastri teammate Norris who took third with a late race push. Russell, who passed Piastri early in the race on soft tyres, went on to take fourth ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, who staerted 12th, and the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Safety cars were brought out for a solo incident with AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson on the opening lap, with another safety car shortly after restart when Williams’ Logan Sargeant lost traction and ended up in the gravel on lap four. As the race restarted by lap seven, Russell led Piastri and the Ferraris with Verstappen in fifth, but the Briton’s soft tires would soon show signs of age by mid distance on lap 10 as Piastri set fastest lap and overtook for the lead.
As Piastri ran at the front, teammate Norris, who had dropped to sixth early, was making moves to take Leclerc but father back Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez sandwiched Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg in dramatic fashion, colliding to retire the German’s car and ending their own in the gravel. With Perez out, Verstappen was confirmed the 2023 World Drivers’ Champion given the remaining points available this season.
The final laps were down to Piastri’s ability to hold onto the lead ahead of Verstappen who were both on medium tyres, ahead Russell. In the end, Hamilton and Norris made up the most places as Russell dropped back in the finishing order.
Williams’ Alex Albon drove to finish eighth ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas took 11th with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou finishing in order.
Max Verstappen joins Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna as a three time winner of the World Drivers’ Championship.