Race Notes - Verstappen takes Qatar GP

By Mark Karp

Max Verstappen won the Qatar GP in his Red Bull-Honda. Oscar Piastri finished in second place, 7.995 seconds behind. Carlos Sainz in the Williams-Mercedes took third place, 22.665 seconds behind the winner.

Going into the final race in Abu Dhabi next week, Norris still leads the Drivers’ Championship with 408 points, Verstappen with 396, 12 points behind, an Piastri with 392, 16 points behind.

Verstappen wins his seventh victory of the season, and his 70th career win.

Norris (23.315s) in the second McLaren finished in fourth, followed by Kimi Antonelli (28.317s) in the Mercedes GP in fifth, his team mate George Russell (48.599s) in sixth, Fernando Alonso (54.045s) in his Aston Martin-Mercedes in seventh, Charles Leclerc (56.785s) in his Ferrari in eighth, Liam Lawson (1m00.073s) in the Racing Bulls-Honda in ninth, and Yuki Tsunoda (1m01.770s) in the second Red Bull-Honda taking the final point in tenth.

Alex Albon in 11th, and Lewis Hamilton in 12th.

Before the start, as night time fell at Qatar. the McLaren’s of Piastri and Norris on row 1, Verstappen and Russell on row 2, Antonelli and Isack Hadjar on row 3, Sainz and Alonso on row 4, and Pierre Gasly and Leclerc rounding out the top ten.

The top starting on medium tyres, Nico Hulkenberg and Hamilton starting on soft tyres, Albon and Franco Colapinto starting on hard tyres. The race will require two stops for all cars, as sets of tyres are limited to 25 laps.

At the appointed time the drivers came around on the formation lap, took to the grid, the start lights went out and the race began with Piastri gets out in front, into the first corner Verstappen passes Norris for second, Antonelli up to fourth.

At lap 2 Piastri leads Verstappen, Norris, Antonelli, Sainz, Alonso, Russell, Hadjar, Gasly and Hulkenberg tenth, Leclerc 11th, and Hamilton 14th.

On lap 3 Piastri sets fast lap at 1m26.930s.

On lap 5 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m26.843s, and trails Piastri by 2.3 seconds, the next lap Piastri goes quicker at 1m26.720s.

On lap 7 Hulkenberg and Gasly go off, Hulkenberg is done.

The Safety Car is out, most drivers pit, except for the two McLaren’s at the front.

McLaren says they would have last their flexibility for pitting later.

On lap 10 behind the Safety Car Piastri leads Norris, Verstappen, Sainz, Antonelli, Alonso, Hadjar, Russell, Leclerc, Oliver Bearman, Lawson Tsunoda, Alex Albon, Hamilton, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, Colapinto and Gasly in 19th.

The Safety Car is in and the race resumes. The two McLaren’s will have to pit on lap 25, the others will need to pit on lap 32 of the 57 lap race.

At lap 15 Piastri leads Norris by 2.2 seconds, followed by Verstappen (6.4s), Sainz (8.8s), Antonelli (10.3s), Alonso (13.0s), Hadjar (14.0s), Russell (14.9s), Leclerc (15.8s) and Bearman (16.6s) in tenth.

At lap 20 Piastri leads Norris by 3.4 seconds, followed by Verstappen (7.8s), Sainz (14.6s), Antonelli (16.7s), Alonso (22.4s), Hadjar (24.0s), Russell (24.4s), Leclerc (25.6s), and Bearman (26.5s) - Hamilton (30.7s) in 14th.

On lap 32 much of the field will have to double stack for their pitstops.

On lap 24 Piastri pits from the lead for new mediums and rejoins fifth ahead of Alonso.

Norris comes in the next lap for medium tyres and rejoins in fifth behind Piastri - Verstappen takes the lead over Sainz and Antonelli.

Piastri sets fast lap at 1m24.945.

At lap 30 Verstappen leads Sainz by 15.2 seconds, followed by Antonelli (16.9s), Piastri (17.6s), Norris (21.6s), Alonso (26.1s), Hadjar (28.6s), Russell (30.3s), Leclerc (32.0s), and Bearman (33.9s) in tenth.

On lap 30 Piastri passes Antonelli for third.

On lap 32 Verstappen, Sainz, Antonelli, Alonso, Hadjar, Russell, Leclerc, Bearman, Lawson Tsunoda, Albon, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Colapinto, and Gasly pit - Piastri and Norris go to the lead, most on hard tyres, Albon, Hamilton, Colapinto and Gasly on mediums, Bortoleto on soft tyres.

At lap 35 Piastri leads Norris by 4.9 seconds, followed by Verstappen (8.5s) in third.

On lap 37 Norris says he has gone off, and has dropped another second back, and Verstappen trails him by 2.3 seconds.

Verstappen is closing. Norris asks the team if he has any damage.

On lap 41 Bearman is given a 10-second stop-go penalty for an unsafe release.

On lap 42 Piastri pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins third behind Norris and Verstappen. Verstappen trails Norris by under a second.

On lap 45 Norris pits for hard tyres and rejoins fifth behind Antonelli.

Alonso spins but continues.

On lap 46 Verstappen leads Piastri by 14.9 seconds, followed by Sainz (21.3s), Antonelli (23.9s), Norris (27.3s), Hadjar (45.3s), Russell (46.7s), Alonso (49.1s), Leclerc (50.1s), and Stroll (56.4s) in tenth.

On lap 52 Sainz in second complains that he is having problems with understeer - Norris is 1.9 seconds behind him. Piastri is 12 seconds behind Verstappen.

On lap 56 Hadjar has a punctured tyre.

On the final lap Antonelli goes wide and Norris passes him for fourth.

Across the checkered flag Verstappen wins over Piastri and Sainz.