Although he already held the title of world champion, achieved the day before, by finishing in second place in the sprint race of the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen did not make it easy and won the main race. It was his 14th win in 17 races this year, clearly demonstrating the Dutch Red Bull driver’s superiority, in a year in which the Austrian team also won the Constructors’ World Championship.
Verstappen completely dominated the 57 laps of the Qatari circuit and was joined on the podium by the two McLarens – Oscar Piastri came second (after starting sixth) and Lando Norris third, in a race marked by intense heat and the danger of excessive tire degradation, which led the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to force all drivers to change their rubber after a maximum of 18 laps for each tire – each driver made at least three stops with North American Logan Sargeant (Williams) stopping on the 40th of 57 laps , due to dehydration.
Another highlight of the race was an early collision between the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, which left the former British world champion out of action, who eventually admitted the mistake and apologized in a social media post. network.Twitter.
“What characterized the race was my first stint, then I managed to control my pace and make sure the tires could be used properly. But the McLarens were fast, I had to push the pace, it was a very tough race. Now I’m going to take a shower, I’m all sweaty, but then we’ll enjoy a bit, but there are still a few races I want to win.” said the Dutchman finally, who had already achieved another title the day before: “It’s a fantastic feeling. It’s been an incredible year, really good racing and I’m super proud of what the team has achieved. It’s so great to be part of this group of people and to be a three-time champion is just fantastic.”
Similarities created by Nigel Mansell
Mad Max, who is now a three-time F1 champion, became one of the sport’s first champions in 2022, securing the title with five races remaining, a feat he repeated this year. The Dutchman thus equaled the British Nigel Mansell, only behind the German Michael Schumacher, who secured the title in 2002 with six races to go.
With these results, the Dutchman achieved 433 points, compared to 224 from the Mexican Sérgio Pérez (Red Bull), who is second. The Mexican had finished ninth, but a penalty for exceeding the track limits dropped him to tenth position.
Lewis Hamilton, who did not score, is third with 194 points. Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), who finished sixth, is fourth with 183. In the Constructors’ World Championship, Red Bull has also secured the title and leads with 657 points, more than double that of Mercedes, which has 326 points. Ferrari is third, with 298.
Source: DN
