Qatar GP: Verstappen shares podium with McLaren in extreme conditions
Max shares the podium with the Mclaren’s in Qatar. / @F1
Scorching weather, high humidity and last-minute rule changes did not stop Max Verstappen from taking another victory in Qatar. McLaren finished second and third in a race that saw Carlos Sainz DNS due to a technical problem.
It was a very different Sunday for Formula One in Qatar, after an investigation by Pirelli and the FIA on Friday revealed a small crack in the tyres caused by the triangular kerbs that mark the circuit, necessitating a change in the paint on the track lines and a last-minute change to the regulations.
This rule forced each rider to complete a maximum of eighteen laps on the same set of tyres and to pit a minimum of three times, with the timing of each pit stop being of great strategic importance.
After a sprint race on Saturday with three safety cars, Sunday’s first came seconds after the start when a collision between Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell retired the seven-time world champion. Russell was able to stay on to finish fourth after a great comeback and race pace, showing that Mercedes missed a good opportunity today to take points from Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, where they are fighting for second place.
The reds ran with just one driver on the track, Charles Leclerc, after Carlos Sainz was forced to DNS from the Grand Prix due to a fuel leak in his car which was only discovered an hour before the start, making it impossible for the mechanics to fix the problem in such a short time. Leclerc, meanwhile, made the most of his SF-23’s performance after a poor weekend for Ferrari, finishing fifth.
MAX AND MCLAREN, UNSTOPPABLE
Verstappen, who started from pole position, took his first win since becoming world champion for the third consecutive year in the Sprint Race.
McLaren, meanwhile, showed that the MCL60’s race pace is among the best on the circuit, with both drivers finishing on the podium, Piastri in second and Norris in third, and if the Woking-based outfit remains consistent they could take fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship from Aston Martin.
ALONSO MAKES A MISTAKE AND FINISHES SIXTH
The Spaniard, who started fourth, lost his podium chances when he went off the track on lap 33 and lost position to Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth. Alonso was one of the first drivers to complain about the difficult conditions due to the high temperatures, even asking for water over the radio during one of the pit stops.
Most drivers needed medical assistance after the Qatar GP. / @RedBull
AN EXTREME RACE FOR THE RIDERS
With a humidity of over 80% and a temperature of 38°C at ten o’clock at night, Qatar was the most difficult Grand Prix of the season so far, and for some riders of their entire careers. These conditions, combined with the heat of the engines and the asphalt, made the 57 laps hell for all the drivers.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired before the end of the race after struggling to get to the pits. The American needed help to get out of his car, and he was not the only one: Lance Stroll asked for medical assistance at the end of the Grand Prix and Alpine driver Esteban Ocon vomited mid-race on lap 15.
Other drivers such as Lando Norris and George Russell left the wheel on the straight and put their hands outside the car to let some air into the cockpit, while Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen barely managed to stay on their feet at the end of the race.
The situation has sparked a debate about holding Grands Prix in countries with unsuitable weather conditions that can affect drivers’ health, as was the case in Qatar.
