In a sensational Qatar Grand Prix sprint event Red Bull’s Max Verstappen successfully etched his name in history alongside the other great Formula 1 champions by winning his third consecutive title, a feat only achieved by four drivers prior. However, it was McLaren rookie star Oscar Piastri who took home the victory - his first in F1. Verstappen finished the race in second while teammate and title challenger Perez crashed out of the race thus handing the Dutchman the title with 6 GP races left in the season.
The Qatar Grand Prix's sprint format witnessed intense drama, with Mercedes' George Russell initially passing pole-sitter Piastri shortly after a restart on lap three with a daring lunge to the inside of turn 6. However, Russell's soft tire advantage faded in the race's latter stages, allowing Piastri to retake the lead.
Verstappen faced a challenging start on medium tires, falling to sixth place by the first corner. Still, his remarkable progress was marred by three safety car interventions throughout the race.
In the final five-lap sprint to the finish, Verstappen managed to overtake Russell but couldn't catch Piastri, who secured his maiden Formula 1 victory.
Piastri is currently putting on one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory
Race Recap:
Piastri led from the outset on medium tires, ahead of Russell, and the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, all benefiting from an explosive start. Verstappen initially dropped to sixth but swiftly passed Lando Norris who suffered a poor start to climb to fifth.
The race witnessed an immediate safety car period following Liam Lawson's self-induced spin in his AlphaTauri. On the lap three restart, Russell aggressively lunged past Piastri at Turn 6, seizing the lead.
Further down the field, Alpine's Esteban Ocon wrestled seventh place from former teammate Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who struggled to pass Norris.
Oscar Piastri led the field off the line before being briefly passed by George Russell.
A second safety car was deployed when Logan Sargeant's Williams ended up in the gravel on lap four. Upon the restart on lap seven, Russell capitalised on Piastri's momentary lapse to establish a 2-second lead. Sainz launched an attack on Piastri at Turn 1 but could not pass the icy 22-year-old Australian.
Verstappen reclaimed fourth place on lap nine, overtaking Leclerc and then Sainz a lap later. However, Russell's pace deteriorated due to the soft tyre’s rapid degradation, allowing Piastri to retake the lead on lap 10. Meanwhile, Norris climbed back to fourth, overtaking Leclerc.
A dramatic three-car incident involving Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, and Sergio Perez forced another safety car deployment. The race resumed for a five-lap dash to the finish, during which Leclerc managed to pass Norris again. With Perez out and scoring no points, this effectively confirmed Verstappen’s championship win before the race even ended. Yet the Dutchman was relentless in pursuit of victory.
Despite Verstappen's efforts, Piastri maintained a 2.4-second lead to secure his historic maiden Formula 1 victory, while Norris overtook Russell on the final lap to claim third place.
The second Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton charged up to fifth, as Sainz and Leclerc fell to sixth and seventh, respectively.
In a post-race twist, both Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll were penalised five seconds for repeatedly exceeding track limits. Leclerc dropped from seventh to 13th, while Stroll fell from 13th to 15th, promoting Williams’ Alex Albon to a points-paying position, a Herculean effort from the driver starting from 17th.
While Oscar Piastri celebrated his first Formula 1 victory, Max Verstappen clinched his third consecutive world title in a gripping Qatar Grand Prix sprint. The race featured three safety cars in its 19-lap duration and was characterised by tire strategy and changing fortunes among the drivers.
