Red Bull’s Max Verstappen gained the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday as McLaren and Ferrari took their Formula One constructors’ title duel right down to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi subsequent weekend.
The win was the quadruple world champion’s ninth of the season and second in a row in Qatar.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed runner-up, 6.031 seconds behind the Dutch driver, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri third in a race punctuated by crashes and security automobile intervals.
McLaren’s lead was trimmed to 21 factors with 44 remaining to be gained and reigning champions Red Bull now mathematically out of rivalry.
“Karma is a wonderful thing. You definitely did not drive unnecessarily slowly today. Great job,” mentioned Red Bull boss Christian Horner over the crew radio after Verstappen took the chequered flag.
Stewards had demoted the champion from pole place on Saturday for driving too slowly, with Mercedes’ George Russell ranging from the highest slot however ending fourth.
McLaren had seemed like they might wrap up the title after a one-two within the Saturday dash however all the pieces went awry when Lando Norris was handed a heavy 10 second cease/go penalty for failing to sluggish for yellow flags.
That dropped the Briton out of the factors from second however he fought again to tenth with quickest lap.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was additionally slowed by a puncture, ending sixth with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly a powerful fifth.
Fernando Alonso was seventh for Aston Martin and China’s Zhou Guanyu scored Sauber’s first factors of the season with eighth.
Kevin Magnussen was ninth for Haas.
