Max Verstappen clinches victory at chaotic Qatar Grand Prix: Stats
Max Verstappen claimed a chaotic Qatar Grand Prix, which saw Lando Norris out of the lead battle due to a harsh penalty. The fierce battle between Verstappen and Norris was broken when the latter was handed a 10-second stop/go penalty. This demoted Norris to the back of the pack, although he fought his way back to finish 10th. Verstappen has already won the 2024 championship title, his 4th in a row.
Leclerc and Piastri secure podium finishes
Charles Leclerc clinched an unlikely second. It was another crucial race for the Scuderia Ferrari man. McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished third. Leclerc now owns 42 career podium finishes, including 12 this season. McLaren's Piastri sealed his 8th podium finish this season. Overall, he owns 10 podium finishes in his career.
Russell and Gasly shine amid Hamilton's struggles
George Russell, who started from the pole, finished fourth. He was followed by Pierre Gasly in fifth and Carlos Sainz in sixth. Lewis Hamilton's disappointing end to his career at Mercedes continued with two penalties for a false start and speeding through the pit lane. Despite considering retirement from the race at one point, he managed to finish 12th.
Sauber celebrate 1st points of the season
In a chaotic race, Sauber celebrated their first points of the season as China's Zhou Guanyu finished eighth. Fernando Alonso in seventh and Kevin Magnussen in ninth rounded out the top 10. The Qatar Grand Prix was an eventful race with unexpected outcomes and huge implications on the Constructor's Championship.
63rd race win for Verstappen
With his 50th race win at the 2023 United States GP, Verstappen became the fifth to do so in Formula 1 history. Lewis Hamilton leads the way with 105 wins ahead of Michael Schumacher (91). Verstappen has now won his 63rd race in Formula 1. Notably, the Dutchman sealed 19 race wins in the 2023 season out of 22 races.
Verstappen seals his 112th career podium finish
By winning the Qatar GP, Verstappen sealed his 112th podium finish. Earlier, he became the sixth driver in F1 history to clock 100-plus podiums. Verstappen, who won the F1 title in 2023 and 2022 respectively, went on to claim 21 podium finishes last season. Notably, in the 2022 season, he managed 17 podium finishes. He has 52 podium finishes since 2022.
9th race win for the Dutchman in 2024
Verstappen won the 2024 season-opening Bahrain GP. He finished first in Saudi Arabia too. He won the Japanese and Chinese GP respectively before winning the Emilia Romagna GP. Verstappen sealed his 3rd successive Canadian GP and Spanish GP respectively. He won the Brazilian GP last month and now with victory in Qatar, he has won 9 races this season. Notably, he has 14 podium finishes in F1 2024 season.
Verstappen leads the Driver Standings
Verstappen has raced to 429 points in the ongoing season with one race to go. McLaren's Norris is next, having collected 349 points. He is ahead of 3rd-placed Leclerc, who owns 341 points. Piastri follows suit with 291 points. Carlos Sainz is next with 272 points.
McLaren top the Constructor Standings
McLaren's 3rd and 10th place finishes at the 2024 Qatar GP saw them race to 640 points in the Constructor Standings. Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari own 619 points and are second. Red Bull Racing with 581 points are likely to finish 3rd this season. Mercedes are fourth with 446 points. Aston Martin own 92 points to be placed fifth. Alpine (59) are sixth.
