Max Verstappen won an incident-filled Qatar Grand Prix featuring three safety cars. Main challenger Lando Norris received a ten-second stop-and-go penalty for speeding under yellow flags.
The Red Bull driver led every lap of the race to score his ninth victory of the 2024 season, having overcome a threat from Norris, which was ultimately concluded when the McLaren driver was caught not slowing for yellow flags along the start-finish straight.
The issue was caused by Alex Albon’s escaped wing mirror, which was run over by Valtteri Bottas to produce a shower of debris along the straight – which was likely the cause for mid-race punctures for Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen outdragged polesitter George Russell off the line at the start – the Mercedes had assumed pole when the new champion was given a one-place grid drop for apparently baulking the Mercedes in qualifying.
Norris put Verstappen under pressure into the first corner having also claimed a good start, but was unable to get by and left to sit in the Red Bull’s wheeltracks – although an early safety car for a clash between Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, and Esteban Ocon gave Norris a chance at a restart overtake.
But this was well managed by Verstappen, who left Norris behind on the lap five restart and started to try and build a lead to clear DRS range. He managed this, but Lando’s laps ensured that he could at least remain within two seconds of his former title rival.
Although there was a series of fastest laps between the two, Norris never looked like putting Verstappen under a realistic threat – although suddenly found half a second on Verstappen at the start of lap 30.
But this was the major turning point. Verstappen had slowed for the debris-induced yellow flags and Norris had not, although this was not realised before a chaotic phase introduced by Sainz and Hamilton simultaneously picking up front-left punctures.
The safety car was thus called out to clear the mess, prompting Verstappen and Norris to finally stop for the hard tyres – on the restart, Norris stayed close to the back of the leading RB20 – the safety car lights were late in going off – and got a run into Turn 1. This challenge, however, was put to rest by Verstappen.
An immediate third safety car period followed due to Hulkenberg spilling his Haas into the gravel at Turn 9, although Norris was dropped on the later restart by Verstappen and instead left to defend from a chasing Charles Leclerc.
At this phrase of the race, Norris got the news of his 10-second stop-go penalty, halting his faint hopes of challenging Verstappen in the final stages of the race.
This left Verstappen free to take victory, and he crossed the finishing line 6.1 seconds clear of Leclerc to complete his second win in three races.
Leclerc had overcome a series of threats from Oscar Piastri, who had found keeping touch with the Ferrari driver difficult with DRS. Piastri had been ahead prior to the second safety car, but the unfortunate timing of his pitstop (a lap before the safety car emerged) moved him behind the Ferrari driver.
The two moved up into the podium placings when Norris was docked by his penalty, while Russell finished fourth despite taking a five-second penalty at the close of the race for a safety car infringement.
Pierre Gasly took an important fifth for Alpine and defended well from Carlos Sainz in the final stages of the race. The Alpine driver had slipped off the circuit on the second safety car restart and lost places to Russell and Sainz, but reclaimed the latter position moments before the Mercedes AMG GT safety car returned to lead the field.
Sainz thus shook off his puncture to finish sixth, while Fernando Alonso’s gamble under the safety car – in which he switched to the hard tyre, only to pounce when the field was directed through the pitlane to fit the medium tyre once more – helped him take seventh.
Zhou Guanyu took an excellent eighth to secure Sauber’s first points of 2024, clear of Kevin Magnussen – who tried multiple times when attempting to pass Alex Albon – in ninth. Norris completed the top ten to recover to the points, having moved past the soft-shod RBs and then denied Bottas a first point of the year.
So a dramatic Qatar Grand Prix with full of incidents. The world champion drove a perfect lights to flag win. Although questions will be asked on why the race director did not recover the mirror on the main straight which affected Norris, Hamilton and Sainz’s race.
Qatar Grand Prix, race results:
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:31:05.323
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +6.031s
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +6.819s
4 George Russell Mercedes +14.104s
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine +16.782s
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari +17.476s
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +19.867s
8 Zhou Guanyu Sauber +25.360s
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas +32.177s
10 Lando Norris McLaren +35.762s
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber +50.243s
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +56.122s
13 Yuki Tsunoda RB +61.100s
14 Liam Lawson RB +62.656s
15 Alex Albon Williams +1 lap
Nico Hulkenberg Haas DNF
Serio Perez Red Bull DNF
Lance Stroll Aston Martin DNF
Franco Colapinto Williams DNF
Esteban Ocon Alpine DNF