Max Verstappen’s Qatar Grand Prix weekend was filled with dramatic highs and lows as the newly crowned four-time world champion navigated a challenging race. Red Bull Racing struggled to find the right setup and speed leading into the Sprint Race, where Verstappen finished in eighth place, far from the pace of his main competitors from McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. However, after the Sprint, Verstappen’s fortunes shifted during the opening of Parc Ferme, where the RB20 came to life. He secured pole position for the Grand Prix, marking his first pole since Austria.
However, just hours later, Verstappen was informed of a rare one-place grid penalty, which meant he would start the race from second position, on the outside, rather than from pole. George Russell, who had secured second, had reported Verstappen for driving “unnecessarily slowly” during Qualifying. As Verstappen finished his qualifying lap, Russell was preparing for his own run and had to make a defensive move, costing him valuable time.
When the race began, Verstappen made a clean pass on Russell in the first corner, and Lando Norris, who started third, managed to catch up to Verstappen but was unable to pass him. Verstappen controlled the majority of the chaotic race, despite an incident on lap 1 involving Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon, and Franco Colapinto. A wing mirror from the wreckage ended up in the middle of the track, and while a yellow flag was waved, Norris did not comply with the caution, prompting Verstappen and Red Bull to report him to the stewards.
Norris received a harsh 10-second stop-and-go penalty, dropping him from second to 14th. Although he fought back to finish 10th and secure a single point, it had significant implications for the Constructors’ Championship, narrowing McLaren’s lead over Ferrari to just 21 points. Verstappen, meanwhile, secured his ninth win of the season and second in three races after a dry spell in the summer.
“Very proud of everyone within the team to turn it around within a day,” Verstappen said after the race. Charles Leclerc finished second, and Oscar Piastri took the final podium spot. Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, suffered a front tire puncture, which dropped him to sixth.
