Masterful Verstappen Claims Incident-Packed Qatar Grand Prix

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Red Bull's Max Verstappen maintained his composure in a frantic race as the reigning four-time world champion won his second successive Qatar Grand Prix Sunday.
The Lusail International Circuit is known for being one of the fastest tracks in Formula 1, but the race was slowed down multiple times with safety car deployed three times. There were also numerous incidents and a penalty for McLaren's Lando Norris, which relegated the Brit to 10th place after battling for the lead with Verstappen.
Charles Leclerc took second place, the Ferrari driver crossing the line six seconds back from Verstappen, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri completed the podium in third, adding to his Saturday Sprint victory. George Russell was Mercedes' sole points-scorer in fourth, ahead of Pierre Gasly who held off Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to take a solid fifth for Alpine.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was seventh, while Sauber scored their first points in a year courtesy of the outgoing Zhou Guanyu, who capitalised on the mayhem to finish a brilliant eighth. Kevin Magnussen took ninth for Haas ahead of Norris, was hit with a 10-second stop/go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags.
At one point, it seemed McLaren might secure their first Constructors' Championship since 1998 in Qatar, with both Norris and Piastri battling for podium positions. However, following Norris' penalty, Ferrari narrowed McLaren's lead from 30 points to just 21. The Constructors' title will now be decided at the season finale in Abu Dhabi next week.
Verstappen, who had been demoted to second on the grid from pole position after impeding Russell in qualifying, wasted no time in asserting his dominance as the lights went out. The Dutchman swiftly overtook Russell into Turn 1 and never looked back, with Norris able to follow him through in second.
Despite the ongoing chaos behind him, Verstappen maintained a mature and steady drive, clinching his ninth win of the season. "It was a very good race, the car was a lot better,” said Verstappen, as he celebrated by jumping into the arms of his Red Bull crew and his family.
“That first stint was very, very fast - me and Lando (Norris) were pushing each other, always within 1.8 secs and it was a lot of fun out there. A few Safety Car moments, but very happy. It's been a while in the dry since we've been this competitive. It got a bit spicy into Turn 1 with Norris but very happy to win here,” he added.
It was Nico Hulkenberg, struggling on hard tires after every driver had opted for medium, who started the incident-packed Grand Prix. The Haas driver locked up and collided with Alpine's Esteban Ocon, who in turn was hit by Williams' Franco Colapinto. While the incident triggered the first Safety Car, it forced both Ocon and Colapinto to retire from the race. Hulkenberg was able to pit and continue, but the damage had already been done for the others. Alex Albon also suffered a spin after contact with Lance Stroll at Turn 4 with the latter retiring a few laps later.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton had a challenging start, dropping from sixth to ninth after a suspected jump start. He was penalised for the infraction and given a five-second penalty, though he did manage to gain a position back at the restart, overtaking Alonso into Turn 1.
Russell became the first driver to pit on lap 23, but a slow seven-second stop put him behind Piastri, as the McLaren driver closed the gap.
The race saw further drama when a loose wing mirror from Albon's Williams was sent flying across the track, forcing a yellow flag. Valtteri Bottas, while trying to avoid the debris, ran over it, damaging his car and leading to a puncture for both him and Sainz on the following lap. This incident relegated Hamilton and Sainz to the back of the pack and prompted the deployment of another Safety Car.
As the track was cleared and the Safety Car came in, Verstappen led from Norris and Leclerc, with Piastri and Sergio Perez completing the top five. Perez, however, reported a loss of power in his Red Bull and was forced to retire after spinning at Turn 15. Hulkenberg's earlier incident also resulted in a Safety Car, further prolonging the interruptions.
At the restart, Norris tried to challenge Verstappen for the lead but was forced to the outside. Russell, meanwhile, climbed back into the top five during the restart.
Norris, however, would soon find himself in trouble. He was investigated for failing to slow under yellow flags when the wing mirror was on track, receiving a 10-second stop/go penalty.
Norris rejoined in 15th, 16 seconds behind Liam Lawson, while Hamilton's luck worsened with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Despite the setbacks, Guanyu was promoted to eighth place, a promising result for Sauber as they sought their first points of the season. Norris, battling back from his penalty, fought through the pack and managed to recover to 10th by the end of the race.
In the final twist of the night, Russell was handed a five-second penalty for a Safety Car infringement but held onto his position, finishing ahead of Gasly by seven seconds.
But there were no worries up ahead for Verstappen, who avoided the mayhem that unfolded around him to come out on top.
Qatar Grand Prix 2024: Race classification
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 57 laps
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +6.031
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +6.819
4 George Russell Mercedes +14.104
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine +16.782
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari +17.476
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +19.867
8 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber +25.360
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas F1 Team +32.177
10 Lando Norris McLaren +35.762
11 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber +50.243
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +56.122
13 Yuki Tsunoda VCARB +61.100
14 Liam Lawson VCARB +62.656
15 Alexander Albon Williams +1 lap
Did not finish
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
Franco Colapinto, Williams
Esteban Ocon, Alpine

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