Max Verstappen started the Qatar GP as a 3-time World Champion and had the best seat in the house. The Mercedes cars started 2 and 3 in the race. Meanwhile, the McLaren drivers started down the order. Lando Norris started 10th and Oscar Piastri started in 6th. However, a lot of what was to come in this Formula 1 race was decided in the first corner.
Mercedes Tangle
The Mercedes cars broke the Golden Rule of Formula 1 Racing. They tangled with each other in the opening lap of the Qatar GP. George Russell was boxed in behind Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, starting on the softs, tried to swoop in. This resulted in a collision which took Lewis out of the race and left George dead last. The Mercedes threat was neutralized.
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McLaren Gain
Oscar Piasti had a brilliant start at the Qatar GP from 6th on the grid. When the two Mercedes collided, Fernando Alonso took avoiding action. This opened up a nice gap for him to jump into P2.
At the back, Lando Norris had a good start like Oscar Piastri. But he still had to do a lot of the hardwork of overtaking cars.
A Tricky Race
Formula 1, FIA, and Pirelli had mandated a maximum tyre-life of 18 laps for the Qatar GP. This meant the Formula 1 teams had to re-strategize the race at very short notice.
Max Verstappen Reigns Supreme
Red Bull covered off all other cars with their strategy at the Qatar GP. They maximized each of the stints for Max Verstappen. This meant he pitted later than others around him every time. Therefore, he had less traffic to cut through.
However, at the Qatar GP, Max Verstappen couldn’t use his car’s superior tyre degradation to his advantage. Therefore, by the end, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were within 5 seconds of him.
Also Read: More trouble on Qatar GP! Pirelli FIA imposes 18-lap limit on tyre life
However, at a Qatar GP littered with track limits, Max Verstappen didn’t even get one of them. This shows just how in control he was. In the end, we will never know what would’ve happened had Mercedes not taken themselves out. But for now, Max Verstappen wins once again.
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