McLaren Throw Up F1 Title Race As Max Verstappen Wins Qatar Grand Prix

 

Max Verstappen is the winner of the Qatar Grand Prix, throwing open the F1 driver's championship title race by surpassing Oscar Piastri and closing the gap with Lando Norris. 

Piastri started in pole position, leading the race until he pitted on lap 42. Verstappen overtook Norris, who also pitted, and led on to finish fastest in 1:24:38.241 seconds. 

It was a decisive race in Qatar, and McLaren let it slide. Having to pit Norris earlier than Verstappen for the second time was the game-changer for Red Bull. The expectation that Piastri would chase him down flopped, and since the Dutch driver was leading by +15.681 seconds on lap 45, he was undeterred. 

Verstappen had pitted for the second time on lap 35 for hard tyres. This worked out well for Red Bull, putting McLaren on the defensive. Verstappen maintained the lead from lap 45 to claim his third straight victory in Qatar. 

Williams Mercedes' Carlos Sainz also gained a position from McLaren's pit stops, moving up to third behind Piastri. Norris chased on, but the nearest he could get was overtaking Kimi Antonelli to finish in P4. He scored 12 points for that position to lead the F1 driver standings by 408 points. 

Lando would need to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix or finish in P2 at least to win the championship trophy. However, the F1 title race is open to the trio, Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen. 

Qatar Grand Prix Top 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 

4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 

5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 

6. George Russell (Mercedes) 

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bull)

10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)