Max Verstappen wins a bumpy race in Qatar, with the Constructor's title still unclaimed

Qatar Grand Prix had incidents, penalties and a dispersed distribution of points.
Text: Javier Escribano
Published 2024-12-01

Max Verstappen might have already won the World Champion title, but four-time Dutch champion driver is still hungry for victories and points for Red Bull, as it became clear in the Qatar Grand Prix, where Verstappen earned a victory despite loosing pole position from a penalty in qualifying.

It was a rough race, with several incidents with Sergio Pérez and Nico Hulkenberg, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz suffering puncture after going through the shards of a broken wing mirror previously run over by Valtteri Bottas, plus Lando Norris suffering a 10-second penalty for not slowing down under yellow flags...

<social>https://x.com/F1/status/1863288210069045568</social>

The safety cars were deployed three times in the race, which ended with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz 2nd and 6th, and holding on to the race for the constructors standings title for Ferrari.

McLaren is 21 points ahead, but with 44 points at stake next weekend in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari still has options. Oscar Piastri was third, but Norris' sanction, which ended 10th, reduced greatly McLaren's loot this weekend.

Special mention to Guanyu Zhou, the Chinese driver who, after being sacked by Kick Sauber, earned them their first 4 points of the whole season by finishing eighth.

Back