And yes, Max Verstappen is champion again after the Sprint in Qatar! However? However…?
After this afternoon’s shootout, Max Verstappen still has some work to do to win his third title with flying colors. If Max gets three points, it’s over. If Perez doesn’t finish in the top 3, it’s over. In either case, it’s more likely to happen than not. But of course you want to become champion with a resounding victory. Even if it is on Saturday.
Fun fact: the Formula 1 World Championship has not been won on a Sunday three times before. In all three cases, it was Nelson Piquet who became the campeão. Max’s ‘father-in-law’ won the title twice on a Saturday because the race was held on a Saturday. And the third time because Mansell did not start the Japanese Grand Prix in 1987 after a hard crash on Friday.
The ever-diplomatic Piquet called it ‘a win of intelligence over stupidity‘. Nice. He also called Mansell’s wife ugly. The two were both not the easiest and certainly not necessarily the best of friends. Anyway, Max becomes champion today. But will the McLarens win the Sprint from the front row?
Start
Piastri does not suffer from nerves and finds his place well. Norris is slightly less successful and is outwitted by…Russell. Not by Verstappen then? Nein! The Dutchman has an old-fashioned shit start, as Olav Mol would say. He is driven around by Russell, but also by both Ferraris! Max started on mediums and they are painful compared to the softs at the start. Verstappen still overtakes Norris for P5. Lawson leaves the circuit in midfield and that causes a safety car.
When the safety car leaves, Piastri gets Russell in the neck. The Brit is attacking with his softs and passes the Ozzie somewhat abruptly but fairly. The latter has mediums and therefore has to hope that the softs break. But, he is unlucky that Sargeant flies off the track again. The American is Stroll’s best friend at the moment. He is the only one who shows that ‘it could be worse’.
Sargeant provides the second full safety car. Anyone on soft rubber will like that manna from heaven consider. At zero pace, your tires will of course not wear out as much. Only in round six of nineteen does the message come that the field can be released again. Piastri immediately receives Sainz for a visit, but barely manages to fight off the Spaniard.
Mid Race
Going into lap 9, the balance seems to shift towards the drivers on the mediums. Piastri drives the fastest lap of the race and Verstappen easily passes Leclerc for P4. A lap later, Sainz is killed and Verstappen is third. Gasly is caught by Hamilton and Alonso. Norris beautifully overtakes Leclerc. It’s quite exciting. And then comes the noise.
Hulkenberg tries to overtake Ocon, who started on softs. As always, the Frenchman defends his rather hopeless position tooth and nail. Perez thinks he can take advantage and take two men at once. But Ocon is probably not aware of that. He cuts off Hulkenberg, but he can’t go anywhere with Perez next to him. Kablabber. Verstappen is therefore officially champion, regardless of where he ends up. And we have the third full safety car.
Finish
Going into round 15 the field goes wild again. The softs find just a little extra pace compared to the cold mediums. Russel is close to Piastri, Verstappen has to leave a small gap for a short time. Leclerc overtakes Norris and Gasly passes Hamilton. But yes, this revival cannot last long. And indeed, in the next round VER passes Russell. Will he still go for victory in the final rounds? In any case, Norris will pass the two Ferraris in four corners.
But Piastri is fast. He sets the fastest lap. Verstappen does improve, but not by much margin. A round later this is repeated again. The difference remains approximately two seconds. Hamilton overtakes his old friend Alonso for P7 and then pushes for the two Ferraris. Russell has lost six seconds to Piastri in two rounds.
Norris passes Russell for P3 on the last lap. Hamilton goes the other way and catches the two Ferraris. The Mercs finished fourth and fifth. But it is Piastri who takes the Sprint. It’s not a real race on Sunday, but it’s still a milestone for McLaren and the rookie. Verstappen becomes champion with P2 today. But McLaren presents itself as the new challenger with a double podium, just like at the Jerez Grand Prix in 1997.
Street party!
Results Sprint Qatar 2023
- Piastri–McLaren
- VERSTAPPEN – Red Bull
- Norris-McLaren
- Russell-Mercedes
- Hamilton-Mercedes
- Sainz-Ferrari
- Leclerc-Ferrari
- Albon-Williams
- Alonso – Aston Martin
- Gasly – Alpine
- Bottas – Alfa Romeo
- Tsunoda – Alpha Tauri
- Stroll – Aston Martin
- Magnussen – Haas F1
- Zhou – Alfa Romeo
DNF
Ocon – Alpine
Perez – Red Bull
Hulkenberg – Haas F1
Sargeant – Williams
Lawson – Alpha Tauri
This article Formula 1 result: Sprint in Qatar 2023 first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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