The inaugural Method One Qatar Grand Prix got here to a detailed on Sunday on the Losail Worldwide Circuit, with Mercedes-Benz AMG’s Lewis Hamilton taking residence the win after dominating all weekend.
The reigning champion began the race on pole and was by no means unsettled by way of to the checkered flag. Maybe extra spectacular was Crimson Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen who was dropped from second on the grid to seventh for failing to respect double waved yellow flags in qualifying, but managed to nonetheless end second, albeit virtually 26 seconds behind Hamilton. Third place went to Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, virtually a minute behind the winner. It was his first time on the rostrum because the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton began the race alongside AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly however was quickly within the lead and constructing a spot. On the similar time, Verstappen was in a position to leap a couple of locations at the beginning after which quickly handed Alonso, after which Gasly to maneuver into second. Sadly for Gasly, visitors after his first cease noticed him fall again, leaving him at eleventh on the end.
2021 Method One Qatar Grand Prix
Alonso did not endure the identical destiny, although he needed to maintain of Crimson Bull’s Sergio Perez who was eager to maneuver into third. Perez in the meantime had fought off the consequences of a troublesome qualifying session that left him eleventh on the grid and powered by way of the sphere to complete fourth. Alpine’s different driver, Esteban Ocon, rounded out the highest 5.
The pit-stop technique and the tough curbs of Losail ramped up the intrigue over the ultimate laps, as drivers that attempted to go the space on a single cease started to endure tire points. 4 drivers obtained flat tires in making an attempt to stretch to the top after their lone cease.
Regardless of Hamilton’s newest win, Verstappen nonetheless leads the 2021 Drivers’ Championship with 351.5 factors, helped by a bonus level for the quickest lap in Qatar. Hamilton is second with 343.5 factors and fellow Mercedes driver Bottas is third with 203 factors. Within the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads with 546.5 factors versus the 541.5 of Crimson Bull and 297.5 of Ferrari. The following race on the calendar is the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in a fortnight.
2021 Method One Qatar Grand Prix
Beneath are the complete outcomes from the 2021 Method One Qatar Grand Prix:
1) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG
2) Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing +25.743 seconds
3) Fernando Alonso, Alpine +59.457 seconds
4) Sergio Perez, Crimson Bull Racing +62.306 seconds
5) Esteban Ocon, Alpine +80.570 seconds
6) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +81.274 seconds
7) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari +81.911 seconds
8) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +83.126 seconds
9) Lando Norris, McLaren +1 lap
10) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin +1 lap
11) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri +1 lap
12) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren +1 lap
13) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri +1 lap
14) Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo +1 lap
15) Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo +1 lap
16) Mick Schumacher, Haas +1 lap
17) George Russell, Williams +2 laps
18) Nikita Mazepin, Haas +2 laps
NC) Nicholas Latifi, Williams DNF
NC) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-Benz AMG DNF
