Analysis of the Qatar Grand Prix brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit
F1 – With Max Verstappen now having sealed the Drivers’ title, all eyes were on the fight for the constructors’ crown for the last two races in the season.
McLaren have seen their lead gradually reduce over the course of the last couple of races, but still enjoyed a 24-point lead coming into the Qatar weekend. There was added importance, given that Qatar was a sprint weekend, with a maximum potential 58 points on offer.
For McLaren to win the title with a race to go they needed a 44-point advantage, with any number of permutations allowing them to achieve that. Most importantly, the focus for McLaren was to finish ahead of Ferrari at all costs. Red Bull mathematically had a chance still, but with Perez continuing to underperform his teammate (more on that later) their chances seemed remote.
It was evident fairly early in the weekend that the top teams were tightly matched, with Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all showing hints of dominance at different times. However, it was McLaren who pipped the others in the early part of the weekend, with Norris securing pole in the sprint qualification, followed by Russell, Piastri, the two Ferraris and Max Verstappen in sixth.
In the Sprint race, Norris got off to the perfect start and Piastri managed to get ahead of Russell, leaving the two McLaren cars upfront. From then, it was a case of exceptional teamwork from the Woking-based outfit, with Norris keeping his partner within the DRS zone, so as to protect him from George Russell behind, who was breathing down the Australian’s neck for the duration of the race. It meant a first and second for McLaren and a perfect start to the weekend, with a 15-point haul.
With Russell taking the final podium place, Sainz and Leclerc could only manage fourth and fifth, giving them a total of nine points. So, heading into the feature race, McLaren had extended their lead in the table to 30. Ever closer to the magic 44 number required.
Qualifying for the main race showed up a surprise, with Max Verstappen securing pole, although he would later be demoted to second for holding up George Russell during the session. Russell, who had delivered the second fastest lap, would therefore start on pole, with the two McLarens in third and fourth, crucially ahead of both Ferraris.
When it came to the main race start, Verstappen began well, with Norris taking second ahead of Russell. Piastri took Leclerc after an early safety car, due to a collision between Ocon and Colapinto.
With one stop seeming to be the optimum strategy, the front runners began their first pit stops on lap 24, with Russell in first. Others held out longer, which served them well as on lap 35 Sainz and Hamilton got punctures, which seemed to be caused by debris. That led to a safety car which benefited Verstappen, Norris and Leclerc all of whom hadn’t stopped.
That meant that on the restart, Verstappen and Norris stayed first and second, with Leclerc ahead of Piastri. Sainz had fallen down to ninth as a result of his puncture.
Another safety car followed shortly after but the real drama came when Norris was given a 10 second stop go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags, which put him dead last. He did, however, manage to fight through the field to finish 10th and get the extra point for fastest lap.
Meanwhile, Verstappen held out for a comfortable win, with Leclerc finishing second, holding off Piastri in third. Russell and Gasly followed, with Sainz clawing some places back in his final stint to finish sixth. Alonso was seventh, with Zhou Guanyu earning his first points of the season in eighth.
As a result of the points distribution, Perez is now confirmed to finish eighth in the championship which is the lowest position of the teammate of the world champion since 1994. Coincidentally, that honour in 1994 fell to Max Verstappen’s father, Jos. Added to the fact that Qatar qualifying was the fifth time in a row that Perez has failed to get into the top ten and that he span out towards the end of the race, questions regarding the Mexican’s future are only intensifying.
Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are both waiting eagerly in the wings at RB and whilst Perez still has a year left on his contract, Red Bull are not afraid of making difficult decisions, as was evidenced by Daniel Riccardo’s dismissal halfway through this season. Consensus appears to be that change will come, which could have other repercussions to the 2025 driver market.
The talking point of the day however, was the Norris penalty. It was a decision that has major implications for the championship. At one stage in the race, McLaren were not far off the magic 45-point gap needed to win, but in the end, they will head to the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi next week just 21 points ahead. They still remain favourites, but the scene is undoubtedly set for a grandstand finale.
* Laurence Jones is senior manager, Marketing and Communications, Bahrain International Circuit
l.jones@bic.com.bh
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