Verstappen wins Qatar Grand Prix as McLaren revival continues

Cal Gaunt
Sunday 8 October 2023 22:25 - Updated: 02:17

Max Verstappen capped off his world championship-winning weekend with victory in the Qatar Grand Prix, with McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris completing the podium.

Mercedes' George Russell recovered valiantly from a first-lap collision with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, which saw Hamilton out of the race, to finish behind the frontrunners in fourth.

Behind them, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc earned his team a valuable 10 points after Carlos Sainz was declared a non-runner after suffering a fuel system issue pre-race.

READ MORE: Qatar Grand Prix 2023 results: Verstappen dominates but disaster for Hamilton

Classy Verstappen untouchable

Verstappen had already won his third consecutive world title in Saturday's Sprint but the celebrations certainly didn't hamper his performance as the Dutchman delivered yet another faultless drive.

Having led from pole, Verstappen spent nearly all of the 57 laps out front alone and he romped home to claim his 14th win of an entirely dominant 2023 season.

McLaren gain more ground on Aston Martin

McLaren's impressive mid-season revival continued as Sprint winner Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris displayed great pace throughout, joining Verstappen on the podium for the second time in as many races.

Their impressive upturn since Silverstone in July has seen them close the gap on Aston Martin to just 11 points in the constructors' championship.

Mercedes collide at first turn

Starting from the second and third on the grid, Russell and Hamilton had a good opportunity to expand their lead over Ferrari in the constructors' championship and for Hamilton to close the gap to Sergio Perez in the drivers' standings.

However, those hopes were dashed at the first corner as the pair collided when they attempted to make a move on Verstappen.

I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. Apologies to my team and to George.

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) October 8, 2023

Hamilton pulled alongside Russell on the outside, and as he tried to pass, their wheels touched, causing Hamilton to spin into the gravel. Both drivers expressed frustration over the radio, but Hamilton later apologised to the team, while Russell made a strong recovery from last place to finish fourth.

Tyre talk dominates in Qatar

Across the weekend, Pirelli found that their tyres were susceptible to failure at high speeds over the kerbs at the Losail Circuit.

As a result, it was announced on Sunday that all teams were limited to a maximum of 18 laps on each set of tyres.

Consequently, the running order of the race fluctuated regularly, with drivers required to make a minimum of three pit stops due to the limitations on tyre mileage.

Ferrari rue Sainz issue but Leclerc in the points

As the race unfolded and strategies evened themselves out, Leclerc secured fifth place, trailing Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, and Russell.

The Monagasque driver capitalised on a mistake made from Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who ran wide off the track around the midpoint of the race, allowing the Ferrari man to overtake.

Qatar Grand Prix 2023 results

The final classification from the Losail circuit was as follows:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 1:27:39.168

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): +4.833

3. Lando Norris (McLaren): +5.969

4. George Russell (Mercedes): +34.119

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +38.976

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +49.032

7. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): +62.390

8. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo): +66.563

9. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo): +76.127

10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): +80.181

11. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): +81.652

12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): +82.300

13. Alex Albon (Williams): +91.014

14. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +1lap

15. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri): +1lap

16. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas): +1lap

17. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri): +1lap

Not Classified

Logan Sargeant (Williams) DNF

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): DNF

Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): DNS

Fastest Lap

Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 1:24.319

READ MORE: Hamilton makes sudden U-Turn over controversial Russell crash