F1 update – Qatar GP

Round 17 of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship took the teams and drivers to the Lusail Circuit in Qatar for the Qatar Grand Prix

Saturday’s sprint race saw Red Bull’s Max Verstappen become a 3 time world champion after finishing second behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, the title was sealed when Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez would retire in the sprint race.

Sunday’s race saw Max Verstappen why he is now a 3 time champion by taking his fourteenth win of the year finishing of the two McLaren’s of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, for the former it’s their best result in their rookie season.

Qatar GP – top 5:

1st: Max Verstappen – Red Bull

2nd: Oscar Piastri – McLaren

3rd: Lando Norris – McLaren

4th: George Russell – Mercedes

5th: Charles Leclerc – Ferrari

Other highlights:

• Both Mercedes drivers of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton would collide at the very first corner which saw the latter retire on the spot.
• Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz would not start the race as an oil leak was discovered in his car.
• Williams’s Logan Sargeant would retire on lap 41 due to falling ill during the race, but the soaring heat tempretures would affect his team mate Alexander Albon and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll although they both finished the race in thirteenth and twelfth respectively.
• Alfa Romeo scored their first double points finish of the year with Valtteri Bottas and team mate Zhou Guanyu finishing eighth and ninth respectively.
• Track limits would be the order of the day for Sunday’s race as now less then 4 drivers would be penalised for multiple track limit offences and they were Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Williams’s Alexander Albon.
• Sunday’s race also saw teams and drivers stop at least 3 times due to the soaring heat conditions and tyre safety.

News:

• Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll is being investigated by the FIA because of his behaviour after being eliminated from qualifying.
• Andretti Global owned by former Indycar and F1 driver Michael Andretti has been given the green light by the FIA to become a new team in F1.
• The Belgium Grand Prix is set to stay on the F1 calendar for 2025.

The next round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship will be held at the Circuit of the America’s in Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix on 20th – 22nd October.

Here’s Aston and Cameron Perkins with the latest from the world of Formula 1.