F1 Qatar GP LIVE: Race reaction as Verstappen vents fury at Russell after penalty drama
F1 race reaction as Verstappen wins in Qatar and Lando Norris drops down the field after a late penalty
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Your support makes all the difference.Max Verstappen followed up securing his fourth world championship by winning a chaotic Qatar Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered another miserable evening in his penultimate Mercedes appearance.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton was penalised twice by the stewards and said his car was “broken” as he finished down in 12th spot in a race which saw Verstappen claim a dominant win.
Lando Norris had been on course to finish runner-up, but he was dealt a severe 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow under waved yellows, dropping him to 10th.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took advantage of Norris’ demise to take second place, six seconds behind Verstappen, and one spot ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. Russell finished fourth.
F1 Qatar GP LIVE: Oscar Piastri up to P4! (Lap 5/57)
Leclerc loses fourth at the restart, with Verstappen also keeping first quite comfortable after a smooth restart!
F1 Qatar GP LIVE: Safety car is ending! (Lap 4/57)
Verstappen slows the pack then ahead of the final turn as the safety car heads in, with Colapinto and Ocon’s car cleared!
F1 Qatar GP LIVE: Safety car! (Lap 3/57)
Safety car still out.
Top-10: Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Leclerc, Piastri, Sainz, Perez, Alonso, Hamlton, Tsunoda
It was quite the collision at the back there, with Nico Hulkenberg also involved! Alex Albon was also spun round by Lance Stroll!
Looks like Lewis Hamilton may have made a false start, too, but did back out - hence he has dropped from sixth to ninth!
F1 Qatar GP LIVE: Max Verstappen takes the lead at the start!
Terrific from Verstappen off the line, who takes the lead down the inside at turn one!
Lando Norris almost sneaks past Verstappen as well, but has to settle for second, with Russell down to third!
And we have a first lap SAFETY CAR - with Colapinto and Ocon stranded in the gravel at turn one!
F1 Qatar GP LIVE: Formation lap!
George Russell leads the 20-car pack around then for the formation lap.
Every car is on medium tyres apart from Nico Hulkenberg in 18th, who starts on the hard tyre.
One-stop race or perhaps two stops? We shall see!
Race start coming right up!
A reminder of the starting grid for the Qatar Grand Prix:
1. George Russell
2. Max Verstappen*
3. Lando Norris
4. Oscar Piastri
5. Charles Leclerc
6. Lewis Hamilton
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Sergio Perez
10. Kevin Magnussen
11. Pierre Gasly
12. Zhou Guanyu
13. Valtteri Bottas
14. Yuki Tsunoda
15. Lance Stroll
16. Alex Albon
17. Liam Lawson
18. Nico Hulkenberg
19. Franco Colapinto
20. Esteban Ocon
* Verstappen has been penalised one place for impeding Russell in qualifying
F1 Qatar GP LIVE: We’re almost at lights out!
George Russell - somewhat controversially - is on pole position ahead of Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris in third place.
Verstappen’s blood will be boiling, but can he keep it under control?!
Who will hold the lead after turn one?!
Mercedes’ George Russell, who starts on pole...
“I know he is, he’s already told me. It will be an interesting turn one.
“Lando is quick, Max is quick - but we just have to focus on our own race.”
Christian Horner on Verstappen’s penalty:
“For me, it was a football player taking a dive in the penalty box, you could argue George was going too fast behind. Not sure why we had a one-place grid penalty, if he needed anymore motivation...
“He’s wound up for this one!”
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