TRACK TORQUE: Verstappen win sets up thrilling finale
It could not have been scripted any better.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) drove a great race to win the Qatar Grand Prix last Sunday, with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Carlos Sainz (Williams) joining him on the podium in second and third place respectively.
Championship leader Lando Norris (McLaren) finished fourth and still holds the advantage, if not the momentum, to win the world title at the last race in Abu Dhabi this Sunday.
Should Norris finish in third place the title is his, even if Verstappen wins. Should Verstappen win and Norris finish fourth, Verstappen takes the title.
There was a twist in the tale at Qatar as McLaren chose the wrong strategy after a safety car intervention on the seventh lap.
Most of the runners chose to go in and change their tyres but McLaren’s Piastri and Norris stayed out for a tyre change only 25 laps later.
This was another unusual event for this race only as the FIA chose to limit all tyre bouts to just 25 laps in the interests of safety because of the extremely high wear rate at this circuit.
This meant that Verstappen and the others that chose the different strategy had to come in after seven plus 25 laps equals lap 32 for the next pit stop.
Verstappen was able to keep his lead at this point, when he changed back to hard tyres, and went on to win the race by a comfortable eight seconds.
Sainz drove an excellent race to keep Norris behind him.
This all means that the world champs can still be won by Lando Norris, Verstappen, Piastri.
In Verstappen’s case, he needs to win with Norris in worse than third place in Abu Dhabi. Piastri’s chances are a bit more difficult.
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and George Russell (Mercedes) finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) despite a spin during the race, made it home in seventh position.
Charles Leclerc was the best of the Maranello team in eighth place while the other Ferrari, driven by Lewis Hamilton, could only manage twelfth position.
Liam Lawson (Racing Bull) was ninth, with Yuki Tsunoda earning one point for his tenth place finish.
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bull) had been going well, in sixth position, when he went out with a puncture.
In some exciting news, he has been confirmed as Verstappen’s teammate next year.
So, it’s everything to go for at this Sunday’s final event in Abu Dhabi.
DRIVERS
1 Lando Norris 408
2 Max Verstappen 396
3 Oscar Piastri 392
4 George Russell 309
5 Charles Leclerc 230
6 Lewis Hamilton 152
7 Kimi Antonelli 150
8 Alexander Albon 73
9 Carlos Sainz 64
10 Isack Hadjar 51
CONSTRUCTORS
1 McLaren 800
2 Mercedes 459
3 Red Bull 426
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