Max Verstappen claims victory at the Qatar Grand Prix following a dramatic race that saw Lando Norris penalised and several incidents, including punctures for Hamilton and Sainz

Max Verstappen secured another victory at the Qatar Grand Prix, extending his dominant season with Red Bull in a dramatic race marked by safety cars, penalties, and on-track incidents. The Dutch driver was in a tense battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris until a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for Norris, awarded for failing to slow down for yellow flags, effectively ended the Briton’s challenge.

Verstappen, who had led from the start, was instrumental in alerting his team about Norris’ infraction, which resulted in the penalty. This move ultimately handed Verstappen a comfortable lead, allowing him to cruise to victory. Norris, despite a strong performance throughout the race, dropped to the back after the penalty and finished 10th.

The race was marred by a series of incidents, including punctures for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. It was unclear whether these were caused by debris from a broken wing mirror that had been lying on the pit straight for several laps before being struck by Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber. The FIA called out a safety car to clear the debris, which further complicated the race.

Verstappen’s strong defence against Norris following the restart was crucial in maintaining his lead. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who benefitted from a strategic pit stop during the safety car period, inherited second place after Norris’ penalty. This result brought Leclerc to within eight points of Norris in their ongoing battle for second place in the drivers’ championship.

Mercedes’ George Russell finished in fourth place despite a slow pit stop and a five-second penalty for a safety car infringement, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly held off a late challenge from Carlos Sainz to secure a solid fifth place. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin took seventh, and Zhou Guanyu of Sauber earned the team’s first points of the season in eighth.

Hamilton’s race was full of frustration. He was penalised for jumping the start, causing him to fall behind early. A puncture further hindered his progress, and he ultimately finished 12th, outside the points.

With the victory, Verstappen strengthened his position at the top of the championship standings. McLaren, despite their earlier hopes of challenging for the constructors’ title, will head into the final race in Abu Dhabi with a 21-point lead over Ferrari, with 44 points still up for grabs.