There are a lot of things to unpack from the Qatar GP weekend. This was a weekend in which Max Verstappen could win his third driver’s title on a Saturday in the sprint race.

All the Dutchman needed was three points, something he easily surpassed in the Saturday sprint race. His achievement seemed to overshadow an impressive drive from McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri, who drove a calm and collected race to finish in P1.

The drama continued after the Sprint, with FIA and Pirelli then mandating teams only run a max stint length of 18 laps, after fear of tyre failures as a result of the abrasive surface. This created additional jeopardy, as no one had a real idea of how the race would pan out. 

With backstories and sub-plots out of the way, let’s finally unpack the actual happenings of the race itself.

5. Mercedes Drivers Tangle into T1

This isn’t the first time in history that the two Mercedes cars have collided at the start of a Grand Prix. Hamilton, starting on the softs, had the better launch from his third-placed grid slot. With more momentum into the T1 braking zone, he was mostly past his teammate.

A misjudgement saw him turning back onto the racing line a little too early, resulting in contact between his rear right wheel and Russell’s front left wheel. Hamilton retired on the spot, whilst Russell dropped back to last place. A strong recovery drive from Russell saw him finish just outside the podium.

4. Maximum Stint Length Restrictions Create Brilliant Drama

There were battles up and down the field as a result of the imposed maximum stint lengths. Strategists had to work within the last-minute regulatory changes, resulting in uncertainty as the flag dropped.

Teams could choose between doing a three or four stopper, with their drivers being allowed to set quasi-qualifying laps throughout the length of the stint. Verstappen’s fastest lap would have put him on Sprint Shootout pole, and keep in mind that this was in race trim.

3. McLaren’s Star Duo

The McLarens were actually consistently quick. They weren’t that far off Verstappen all things considered. Piastri had the gods on his side at the race start, being the benefactory of the Mercedes collision. From there, he continued on his sprint race form, driving a consistent race to solidify his second place in the Grand Prix.

Norris was solid too. Starting P10, he had to really work for this podium. The Briton’s pace was consistent throughout the race, and he was catching his Australian teammate in the latter stages of the Grand Prix. Fair play to the team too, as they were helped by solid sub-two second pit stops in the race!

2. Intense Heat Affecting Drivers

Logan Sargeant had to retire from the race as a result of the physical toll it took on him. And he is far from the only driver to have complained about the heat. The temperatures and the humidity drained the majority of the drivers, with three of them even ending up in the medical centre after the race.

Multiple drivers could also be seen lifting their visors in a bid to get some cool air whilst in the pits or on the straights. The temperature is made worse by drivers basically pushing all the way from lights out to the chequered flag with the 18 lap maximum stint rule. The top three drivers were also physically exhausted, with Piastri lying down on the floor in the cooldown room!

1. Track Limits Galore

As was the case in all prior sessions, track limits were a hot topic in the race itself. This was made worse by a late reconfiguration of certain corners in a bid to lower loading on the tyres on safety grounds.

Numerous drivers were given multiple five second time penalties for exceeding the track limits. This ultimately affected the final results, with drivers from P10 to P13 all having at least one track limit penalty. Despite this, they all finished on the lead lap, and only the two Haas and AlphaTauri cars were a lap down.

F1 Heads to COTA Next

With both titles already accounted for, the race is now on for P2 in both standings. Despite their nightmarish weekend, Mercedes actually managed to outscore Ferrari by two points. This is no doubt aided by Sainz’s failure to start. McLaren are hot on Aston Martin’s heels for P4, with just 11 points separating the two teams.

Alfa Romeo moves into eighth after both cars scored points in the race. In the driver’s standings, Perez scores an additional point to widen his lead over Hamilton by 30 points. Formula One is headed to COTA next, and the cars will hit the track on the 20th of October.

Photo Credit: Red Bull Content Pool, Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, Haas,

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