In an F1 World Championship without history, finished by Max Verstappen in the previous Las Vegas GP, the crumbs are going to McLaren and Ferrari fighting for the Constructors’ title. In the Qatar Sprint, the last short race of the year, the English team won with a double, with victory given to Oscar Piastri, a gift from the house of Lando Norris, second.
“We wanted to do it from Brazil and the team let me. “We are not here to win Sprint races, but to win the championship,” justified Norris, who disobeyed his team, since they told him over the radio to maintain positions, that is, for him to win, who was going first.
So those from Woking are now 30 points ahead of those from Maranello, who only added 9 points with the 5 from Carlos Sainz in fourth place, and the 4 from Charles Leclerc in fifth.
The four-time champion Max Verstappen was eighth and the Spanish Fernando Alonso, eleventh.
Great exit
Hamilton won the most, from 7th to 5th, and Verstappen lost the most, from 6th to 9th.
The start of the short race brought quite a few chip movements. Norris maintained the privileged position, but had his teammate Piastri behind him in the second corner when he overtook Russell, who gave way at the start. Sainz maintained fourth place and behind him Hamilton was the one who gained the most, from 7th to 5th, while the one who lost the most was the champion Verstappen, who fell from 6th to 9th place after having to brake to avoid eating. to the Ferraris. The Dutchman was just ahead of Alonso, who moved up one position, from 11th to 10th.
The turns fell and the little train of cars continued, without lavish overtaking or attempts. Magnussen dared to overtake Alonso to take 10th place, so the Spaniard returned to his starting position.
The best overtaking was seen in the middle zone, when Leclerc attacked Hamilton (v. 13/19) for fifth position. The Monegasque went all out at the end of the straight, the Englishman from Mercedes held on, two corners were parallel, and the Ferrari ended up passing ahead with an outside turn in turn 3. Spectacular.
Although the unexpected hidden blow was reserved for the last lap, when Norris, who was strolling, gave the Sprint victory to his teammate Piastro. A gesture of gratitude for some previous favor from the Australian.
In the fight for the Constructors’ World Championship, McLaren’s double allows it to add a maximum of 15 points and move 30 away from Ferrari, which added 9 to Sainz’s 5 and Leclerc’s 4.
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