QATAR GP – Lewis Hamilton closes the gap to Max Verstappen with twenty-five-second victory

Testing & Race Reports

Lewis Hamilton has taken victory in the Qatar Grand Prix after finishing twenty-five seconds ahead of championship rival Max Verstappen. The seven-time world champion delivered a steady drive to take his first back-to-back win since May as he closes the gap in the driver’s championship going into the final two races of the season.

Hamilton controlled the race through out, the Mercedes driver leading every lap of the race and not losing his lead through the pit stop. The world champion narrowed the gap to just eight points with the Jeddah-Abu Dhabi doubleheader at the start of December.

Victory in Jeddah would put Hamilton level on points going to the last race in Abu Dhabi, but on paper and the last two races, Mercedes are gaining momentum as the title race looks wide open.

In the last eight day’s Verstappen’s championship lead has been cut by thirteen points to just twenty-one, with a maximum of fifty-two to gain. Momentum based on the last week appears to have shifted to Mercedes as they look for their eighth consecutive drivers and constructors double.

A late penalty saw the Dutchman drop to seventh for a yellow flag infringement in qualifying, but he recovered from the five-place penalty to get into second by the end lap five.

While Verstappen made a charge during his open stint, the Red Bull drivers race then stalled when he got into second, Hamilton appearing to be too quick.  He looked then to struggle to unlock the same race pace as Mercedes, Hamilton then driving onto his

Hamilton won the start covering off the Alpha Tauri of Pierre Gasly, while Verstappen made up places to get fourth in the first few corners after a late five-place grid penalty dropped him to seventh.

He immediately passed Valtteri Bottas who made a slow start then made his way past Lando Norris and into third by the end of lap three, Gasly soon allowed him up into second.

Fernando Alonso managed to deliver the pace Alpine had shown in qualifying to finish third, the two-time champion returning to the podium for the first time since Budapest in 2014. Alonso had inherited third on the grid thanks to Verstappen gaining a penalty less than two hours before the start of the race.

The Spaniard helped his team in the battle for fifth in the constructor’s championship, as the two-time champion was the highest finisher to make the one-stop work. That was partly due to his good start and punchers for others.

Hamilton said, “Of course, I enjoy those races where you’re battling through but we needed those points today, so I think a real solid job from the team. I can’t wait watch the replay of the race to see what happened behind me.”

“I’m really grateful for the points, it’s been a hell of a year. To be at this point in the season and have back-to-back wins is a great, great feeling and puts in good stead for the next two.”

Verstappen added, “Of course our starting position was a bit compromised but we had a really good start and then came back to second. At the end of the day to get that fastest lap was very nice. I know it’s going to be difficult to the end but that keeps it exciting. It’s going to be a tight battle until the end.”

Sergio Perez finished fourth, the Mexican spending most of the race in second before switching to a two-stop late in the race after Valtteri Bottas suffered a puncher on lap thirty-one. The battle between them became the focus in the middle part of the race, Mercedes telling Bottas he must pass the Red Bull.

They attempted to run the Finn long into the race that unravelled with the puncher, while he rejoined he eventually retired with ten laps to go.

The Mexican had looked able to fight for the podium before a late virtual safety care nurtured his charge, helping Alonso to hang on to take third making his one-stop work. Perez was eleven seconds behind with six laps to go on old tyres, while the Red Bull driver closed the gap he was still two seconds off when they crossed the line.

Both Hamilton and Verstappen made a precautionary stop, but the gap between the top two remained unchanged. The damage for Bottas was done with him being forced to retire late in the race, along with the Williams of Nicolas Latifi who suffered the same issue as the Finn with six laps to go.

Esteban Ocon finished fifth, seven-tenths ahead of the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. The Two Ferrari’s were the final cars on the lead lap, Carlos Sainz finishing a second ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, that could be important in the battle for third with McLaren.

Lando Norris finished a lap down in ninth, five seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Norris losing positions in the closing stages when McLaren decided to react to the tyre failures dropping him down the order.

Gasly had tried to make the two-stop work, but lost out in the closing stages with the tyre dramas. The Frenchman eventually finishing the race eleventh ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, and his Alpha Tauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Alpha Tauri’s pointless race handing a big advantage to Alpine in the constructors

Kimi Räikkönen finished fourteenth twenty-four seconds ahead of his Alfa Romeo teammate Antonio Giovinazzi. Mick Schumacher finishing sixteenth as second and a half behind the Italian.

George Russell had been delivering a steady race for Williams just outside the points when he was forced into a late stop also suffering tyre failure, as did teammate Nicolas Latifi. Pirelli going into this race, looked to be uncertain whether a one or two stop race would be the best strategy.

Nikita Mazepin the final finisher in eighteenth, twenty three seconds behind Russell.

Related

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,