Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix with impeccable race management, while his main rival, Lando Norris, was forced to drop back to reclaim tenth place after receiving a penalty for ignoring yellow flags. Second-placed Charles Leclerc and third-placed Oscar Piastri allowed Ferrari to close the gap to McLaren, maintaining suspense for the Constructors' Championship until the final race in Abu Dhabi next week.
From the start, George Russell, poleman for Mercedes, made a good start, but Verstappen quickly took the lead by overtaking him in the first corner. In this same corner, Norris, starting from third position, tried to pass to the inside, but the Red Bull driver managed to maintain the lead.
At the rear of the field, Haas' Nico Hülkenberg lost control in Turn 1 and crashed into the Alpine of Esteban Ocon as well as the Williams of Franco Colapinto, causing a safety flag.
After the restart in lap 4, Verstappen perfectly controlled the race, staying ahead of Norris, Russell and Piastri, who had managed to regain his position against Leclerc. Carlos Sainz, also from Ferrari, was in sixth position, just ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
Verstappen then settled into his first stint, although he was never really safe, with Norris gradually closing the gap which remained around 1.6 seconds for the first 20 laps.
Russell was the first of the leaders to pit on lap 24, but a locked right rear wheel forced him to lose time, dropping him to 11th place after a seven-second stop.
With more pit stops planned, drama struck again on lap 32 when Alex Albon dropped a mirror on the pit line, prompting a yellow flag. Verstappen noticed that Norris had closed the gap and asked his team to check whether the McLaren was respecting the speed limits.
Two laps later, Sauber's Valtteri Bottas drove over this debris, causing damage that led to punctures for Sainz and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, leading to further intervention by the safety car.
Verstappen took advantage of this stop to put on hard tires and came out in the lead. Meanwhile, Norris reclaimed second position after an excellent strategy during the safety car, while Leclerc moved ahead of Piastri. Pérez also took advantage of the situation, moving up to fifth place ahead of Pierre Gasly, Russell and Sainz.
The safety car left the track at the end of lap 39 and Verstappen was almost surprised by Norris. The latter attacked on the outside thanks to a trail advantage, but Verstappen defended his position with conviction. Behind them, Leclerc was able to resist Piastri's attacks, while Gasly was overtaken by Russell.
Unfortunately for Pérez, his race ended prematurely. Before the safety car came out, he lost power and then spun in the last corner, forcing him to retire.
At the back of the peloton, Hülkenberg also spun, leading to another exit from the safety car. This time, Verstappen made a perfect start and maintained his lead, as Norris struggled to keep Leclerc at bay.
Norris' challenge then evaporated when he received a 10-second penalty for failing to slow down for yellow flags before the first safety car period and after a pit stop on lap 45 he crashed to the last place. He nevertheless managed to move up to tenth place at the finish.
At the front, Verstappen was in great confidence and without further incidents he crossed the finish line with a six-second advantage over Leclerc and Piastri, separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Russell finished fourth, while Gasly managed a strong fifth place. Sainz finished sixth, followed by Alonso, with Zhou Guanyu taking Sauber's first points of the season with eighth, while Kevin Magnussen finished ninth ahead of Norris.
Qatar F1 Grand Prix 2024 Results – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 57 –
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 6.031
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 57 6.819
4 George Russell Mercedes 57 14.104
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 57 16.782
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 17,476
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 19.867
8 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 25.360
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 32.177
10 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 57 35.762
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 57 50.243
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 56.122
13 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
14 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
15 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 56 – 1 lap
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 39 – Abandon
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 38 – Abandon
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 8 – Abandon
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 0 – Abandoned
Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 0 – Abandon
There is no denying that Max Verstappen's dominance at the Qatar Grand Prix is testament to the remarkable synchronization between team strategy and individual talent. However, the Lando Norris episode raises questions about the management of penalties, and it would be relevant to think about the impact that this could have on the morale of the drivers and on the spectacle offered to the fans. As observers of F1, we must question the fairness and clarity of the regulations, whilst considering the implications these decisions may have on the championship.
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