Qatar Formula One Grand Prix at Losail

[SteveB]

Qualifying for Sunday’s Race at 18:00 (6:00PM)


1) Max Verstappen (Red Bull]
2) Lando Norris [McLaren]
3) George Russell [Mercedes]
4) Oscar Piastri [McLaren]
5) Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]
6) Fernando Alonso [Mercedes]
7) Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]
8) Pierre Gasly [Alpine]
9) Esteban Ocon [Alpine]
10) Valtteri Bottas [Alfa Romeo]


11) Yuki Tsunoda, [Alpha Tauri]
12) Carlos Sainz, [Ferrari]
13) Sergio Perez, [Red Bull]
14) Alex Albon, [Williams]
15) Nico Hulkenberg, [Haas]


16) Logan Sargeant, [Williams]
17) Lance Stroll, [Aston Martin]
18) Liam Lawson, [AlphaTauri]
19) Kevin Magnussen, [Haas]
20) Zhou Guanyu, [Alfa Romeo]

There is also a Sprint Race on Saturday at 18:30. Qualifying for the Sprint is at 14:00 on Saturday.

[SteveB]

Oscar Piastri has had a time deleted for exceeding track limits. So has Lando Norris. Announced in the middle of the podium interviews; bit of a mess as the podium changes as the interviews take place.

Top Ten now
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) George Russell, Mercedes
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
5) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
7) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
10) Lando Norris, McLaren

[Ketchup2023]

Qualifying for Sunday’s Race at 18:00 (6:00PM)


1) Max Verstappen (Red Bull]
2) Lando Norris [McLaren]
3) George Russell [Mercedes]
4) Oscar Piastri [McLaren]
5) Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]
6) Fernando Alonso [Mercedes]
7) Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]
8) Pierre Gasly [Alpine]
9) Esteban Ocon [Alpine]
10) Valtteri Bottas [Alfa Romeo]


11) Yuki Tsunoda, [Alpha Tauri]
12) Carlos Sainz, [Ferrari]
13) Sergio Perez, [Red Bull]
14) Alex Albon, [Williams]
15) Nico Hulkenberg, [Haas]


16) Logan Sargeant, [Williams]
17) Lance Stroll, [Aston Martin]
18) Liam Lawson, [AlphaTauri]
19) Kevin Magnussen, [Haas]
20) Zhou Guanyu, [Alfa Romeo]

There is also a Sprint Race on Saturday at 18:30. Qualifying for the Sprint is at 14:00 on Saturday.

If max happened to win that sprint race then could he be champion before the main race takes place at all? Or how many points for the sprint race.

[SteveB]

If max happened to win that sprint race then could he be champion before the main race takes place at all? Or how many points for the sprint race.

If Max finishes sixth or higher in the sprint race, he clinches the championship.
If Max were to score no points in the sprint, if Sergio Perez finished outside the top three, Max still has the championship.

Max only needs three more points. Sprint race is scored eight points for a win, seven for second, and so on down to one point for eighth.

[SteveB]

Sprint Qualifying for sprint race at 18:30 [6:30PM]


A lot of drivers including Max Verstappen caught out by track limits.

1) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
7) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
8) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
10) Esteban Ocon, Alpine

11) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
12) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
13) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
14) Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri
15) Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo

16) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
17) Alex Albon, Williams
18) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
19) Kevin Magnussen, Williams
20) Logan Sargeant, Alfa Romeo

[SteveB]

Red Bull have won all three sprint races so far this season—Sergio Pérez in Azerbaijan and Max Verstappen in Austria and Belgium.

17 drivers to have won the Formula One on more than one occasion

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton hold the record for the most World Drivers' Championships, both having won the title on seven occasions.

Juan Manuel Fangio won five titles.
Sebastian Vettel—four world titles
Alain Prost—four world titles

Jack Brabham—3 Titles
Jackie Stewart—3 Titles
Niki Lauda—3 Titles
Nelson Piquet—3 Titles
Ayrton Senna—3 Titles

And now inevitably,
Max Verstappen—3 Titles

[SteveB]

Max Verstappen has a poor start, down to fifth.
Liam Lawson off and stuck in gravel. Safety Car.

[SteveB]

Safety Car in and George Russell takes the lead. On soft tyres so has an advantage but will they last the 19 laps?

Logan Sargeant in the gravel so another Safety Car.

[SteveB]

Safety Car in.

George Russell leads but on soft tyres.
Max Verstappen fifth but enough for him to win the championship.

[SteveB]

Sergio Perez is out. Not his fault. Collision with Ocon and Hulkenberg. George Russell says his tyres are done.
But, Max Verstappen is now a Third Time World Champion.