Ahead of the race, the FIA had confirmed that all drivers will be obliged to make at least three pit stops during the Qatar Grand Prix amid “safety” concerns over tyre wear. It was also announced that Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will not take part in the GP after the team encountered a fuel-related problem on his car during the build-up to the race that proved too significant to fix in time.
The Spainiard was due to start the 57-lap encounter from 12th on the grid. Another change to the grid in Qatar saw Sergio Perez move start the race from the pit lane, with Red Bull changing a range of power unit components and making several car changes, including a new chassis, after his crash in the Sprint.
The race start saw Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell barging into each other, thereby bringing an early end to the former’s weekend. A safety car was deployed, meanwhile Russell had to make a pit stop, and fell behind the entire grid. From starting at 2 and 3, Mercedes ended with one car in the gravel and the other one out of point contention for the time being. “I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. Apologies to my team and to George.” posted Hamilton on his official X (formerly Twitter) account after the race.
On the other end of the grid, 2023 World Champion Max Verstappen seemed to have put his RB 19 on cruise control, increasing his lead to iver +23 seconds before making a pit for new tyres on lap 17. Verstappen came out of the pits on second, behind Alex Albon. The Williams driver had to make a pit soon after, handing the race lead back to Verstappen.
Here are all the point scorers at the 2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix –
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
7. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
8. Valterri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
9. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin went into the gravel at turn 2, but the Spaniard used the escape road to bring it back to track. However, the veteran made an unsafe re-entry right ahead of Leclerc, with the two almost colliding! The Monegasque managed to avoid the Aston Martin and move ahead.
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Williams decided to retire Logan Sargeant’s car on lap 40 after the American told them on the radio that he was feeling unwell because of the high temperature. A lot of drivers were captured opening their helmet lids to get some air inside, and many of them even made a visit to the medical centre after the race because of heat exhaustion. Russell made his fourth and final pit stop on lap 50, switching to soft rubber, joining back on 4th after a sensational recovery. A total of four drivers received penalties for exceeding track limits, including Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly who took +15 second penalties each!
Max Verstappen managed to take the additional point for the fastest lap, while rookie Oscar Piastri, who started from P6 and ended on second, was voted the Driver of the Day by the fans. “Definitely the hardest race I’ve had in my life,” said Piastri after the 57-lap race. His McLaren teammate’s 1.8-second pit stop became the fastest pit stop in Formula 1 since shifting to the bigger 18-inch wheels.
Stay tuned to TOI Auto for all updates on the remainder of the 2023 Formula One season.