(Motorsport-Total.com) – McLaren celebrated a double victory in the F1 sprint in Qatar, taking an notable step towards winning the 2024 constructors’ championship. With Oscar Piastri’s victory over Lando Norris, the British team extends their lead over Ferrari from 24 to 30 points and could theoretically use their first game point at the Grand Prix in Doha on Sunday.
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Lando Norris and oscar Piastri changed places on the last bell
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The finish was strange: Norris turned into the start finish just like the leader and gave Piastri a slipstream so he could cross the finish line in second place. In the last few metres, Norris took his foot off the accelerator and moved to the right, giving Piastri his second consecutive sprint victory in Qatar.
A bit like Suzuka in 1991, when Ayrton Senna thanked Gerhard Berger for his help during the season. Norris comments on his gesture as follows: ”It was a bit tougher than I imagined. But I planned from Brazil to get revenge on Oscar. Even if the team told me not to do it.”
Russell, who was kept in check in third place thanks to the play of the Papaya team as probably the faster driver, was angry when he crossed the finish line: “Racing in Formula 1 is quite boring. I was expecting a lot to fight here. But what is that I don’t know?”
Carlos Sainz came fourth ahead of Charles Leclerc (both ferrari), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull). The first eight drivers were awarded World Championship points. pierre Gasly (Alpine) was ninth and Kevin Magnussen (Haas) was tenth.
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Was the move at McLaren pre-planned?
Norris admitted after the sprint race that he was thinking of beating Brazil’s Piastri if the possibility arose. In Brazil,Piastri let him pass when norris still had a mathematical chance of catching Verstappen in the World Drivers’ Championship.
However, the subject was not specifically on the agenda at the morning meeting of the McLaren team. “My race engineer was the only person I told. and he told me not to do it,” grins Norris and says: “Oscar helped me in Brazil,and today I returned the favor.”
on the penultimate, Norris asked on the radio: “Is the next lap the last?” His race engineer, who instantly understood why the question arose, immediately warned him: “Yes. But don’t worry about it now!” And a little later came the express instruction: “Finish the race in this order. We are then satisfied.”
Of course, because McLaren certainly didn’t want to risk
For his part, Piastri knew before the start that “something like that could happen.” But: “The fact that it happens when George is half a second behind me surprises me.”
What were the site changes at the beginning?
There were several shifts at the beginning,including in the front positions. Norris was able to maintain his pole position this time. But Piastri was second at first and was able to overtake Russell with a maneuver at the exit of the first corner. A little further back, Hamilton even gained two positions and came back from the first lap in fifth place.
Verstappen,however,came out badly. The world champion dropped from 6th place behind Hamilton, Hülkenberg and Gasly and was only ninth at the start. Also because of a swerve in the second corner. “The supervision would be exaggerated,” he said as he handled his red Bull It was dawn shortly before the start: “It will be difficult today.”
Was Piastri’s defense of Russell unfair?
On lap 4, Russell pulled up to Piastri with DRS support, braking late, with violent underbody flares, and sat next to the McLaren. In the end he had to go back. “He steered into me,” he complained over the pit radio. However, the race management did not even investigate the act.
To ensure the double win, Norris also helped. McLaren’s lead driver Piastri brought DRS so he could defend himself more easily from behind. That was perhaps crucial on laps 6 and 8 as Piastri was able to stay ahead of russell at the end of the start straight.
On lap 9,Russell pulled out of the slipstream again,but had to pull back at the last second. The top three were within a good 0.3 seconds at that point, and there was some really great racing up front.
On lap 14, the Papaya team game did not work as planned for once when Piastri shook out of the Norris DRS by a few thousandths of a second. Russell quickly had extra speed at the end of the start straight – and moved to the inside to mount an attack.
Piastri responded to this, pulling to the right and closing the door – an action that Russell did not like at all: “fuck me, that was late! For the second time already!” He complained on the pit radio. Hello TV-expert Philipp Eng can understand the anger: “That was almost a little too late. That was reactive for Russell, not proactive.”
Both McLaren drivers then drove home the double victory relatively safely. Until the strange action in the last corner, which made things really tight again. russell was just 0.274 seconds behind Norris.
Why was Verstappen so far behind?
Verstappen didn’t stay in ninth place for long, but he was able to overtake the Gasly-alpine relatively quickly. But Hülkenberg was no longer cannon fodder for him.After ten of 19 laps, the world champion was 1.7 seconds behind the Germans in the Haas and was in eighth place.
Just before that, Hamilton and Leclerc were competing for fifth place. The future Ferrari teammates fought a duel over several corners on lap 13, which Leclerc eventually won.The Monegasque then failed to finish fifth, with Hamilton finishing sixth.
Verstappen could no longer arrange any talk behind him. With a pleasant and manageable driving behavior, he drove home in 8th place without ever threatening Hülkenberg.
“The start itself was not unusual,” says Verstappen. “Lewis whent fine. But after that I slid everywhere. The driving behavior was really extreme all weekend.I couldn’t even get close to Nico. That shows who as bad as it was.”
“I had no grip. the balance is terrible.When the tires are cold it’s even worse. It felt like a rally car! It would have been smarter if I had driven the Spa Rally with my father.better chance to be competitive.
Teammate Sergio Perez only finished 20th and last after starting from the pit lane and stopping. Mexico was used as a guinea pig for the race, because after the F1 sprint the cars can be converted again and data and experience could be gathered with Perez’s car.
Hülkenberg got off to a great start and came back from the first lap in seventh place. he didn’t give this up until the end. he was “surprised” by that, the German said after the sprint race: “I think it was already clear yesterday that Red Bull is not the favorite here. But now it was not important to keep them under control .go out.”
“So it’s positive to take two points on Saturday, and of course it’s happy and great for us. But the weekend isn’t over yet. It’s going fast, there are still two very important sessions. But the car is working. Well, I feel good, and now we have to get it on the road twice clean.”
Were can you watch the Qatar Grand Prix live?
Didn’t have time to watch Formula 1? No problem: Every evening on the Formula1.de YouTube channel there is a detailed analysis of the day, with Kevin Scheuren and Christian Nimmervoll, supported in research by the Motorsport Network team on the spot in Doha. By the way, not only on YouTube: live streams of the F1 show are now available also on Twitch to see
It rises at night from Saturday to Sunday Analysis of the F1 sprint and qualifying expected midnight German time (CET). At the end of the live stream, as always, the two hosts answer channel members’ questions from the live chat. (Become a member of the channel now and get involved!)
If you really want to watch qualifying and the race in Qatar live, you will have to rely on the Sky pay TV channel, at least in germany. He broadcasts every session live. There are also free TV offers in Austria and Switzerland. (Click here for a full TV overview of the Qatar Grand Prix 2024!)
Qualifying will begin at the Los Angeles International Circuit on Saturday evening at 9 pm local time in Qatar. This is 7 pm German time (CET). The race starts on Sunday at 5 pm
How do team dynamics and driver strategies influence the outcomes of Formula 1 races?
Interview between Time.news Editor and Motorsport Expert
Time.news Editor (T.E.): Welcome, everyone, to this exciting edition of our interview series.Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Formula 1 expert, Dr. Emily Carter, who will help us unpack the thrilling double victory of McLaren in the recent F1 sprint in Qatar. Emily, thank you for joining us!
Dr. emily Carter (E.C.): Thanks for having me! I’m excited to dive into the latest developments in Formula 1.
T.E.: Let’s start with the race itself. McLaren’s Oscar piastri clinched victory against teammate Lando Norris, extending their lead over Ferrari. What does this victory mean for McLaren in the context of the constructors’ championship?
E.C.: This double victory is monumental for mclaren, not just as a morale booster but also strategically as they extended their lead over Ferrari from 24 to 30 points. This puts them in a prime position as we approach the latter part of the season. With the upcoming Grand Prix in doha, there’s a real possibility of McLaren possibly securing crucial points in their bid for the constructors’ championship.
T.E.: Absolutely,Emily. The teamwork displayed was also quite intriguing. Norris chose to let Piastri pass in a strategic move reminiscent of historical moments in F1. Was this a pre-planned maneuver, or did it develop during the race?
E.C.: It truly seems like a mix of both. Norris mentioned that he had been contemplating helping Piastri for a while since Piastri had previously assisted him during the brazilian race. However,it was not officially discussed in the team meeting,which adds a layer of spontaneity. Norris’s tactical decision to give Piastri a slipstream and ensure a 1-2 finish speaks volumes about their trust and communication on the track.
T.E.: Speaking of communication, tension is never far off in a race. George Russell was visibly frustrated after the sprint. How do you interpret the dynamics among the drivers,especially Russell’s comments about boredom in racing?
E.C.: Russell’s frustration highlights a broader conversation within F1 regarding competitiveness and strategy.He felt he was held back due to the tactical play of mclaren drivers. While it’s critical for teams to work together for a double win, it also stirs up rivalry on the track.Russell’s lament that the racing was ‘boring’ indicates that he was eager for a direct fight, which he didn’t get due to McLaren’s strategic dominance.
T.E.: And what about the aftermath of the race? Piastri and Norris had an impressive drive, but there was talk about whether Piastri’s defense against Russell was fair. What’s your take on that incident?
E.C.: That incident was indeed quite controversial. It showcases the fine line between aggressive racing and fair play. Russell felt Piastri’s maneuver was too late,and there’s certainly a case for scrutiny. While racing incidents are often subjective, what’s notable is that race control didn’t intervene, signifying there wasn’t enough to warrant a penalty. It’s a reminder of how intense and nuanced competitive drives can be, especially at the elite level.
T.E.: Beyond that, there was also quite a surprising performance from Max Verstappen, who struggled initially. What factors contributed to his underwhelming start?
E.C.: Verstappen’s struggles were largely due to a poor start that saw him drop positions right out of the gate. This can happen when the car doesn’t launch well, combined with external factors like track conditions during the early dawn.He recovered quickly, but the initial few laps can make or break a race. It’s a reminder of the unpredictability in F1—no matter how dominate a driver or team is, it all starts with that crucial launch.
T.E.: Thank you, Emily, for your insights. It’s interesting to see how these layers of strategy, teamwork, and individual performance come together in Formula 1.
E.C.: It’s my pleasure! There’s always so much to discuss in F1, and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the season unfolds.
T.E.: And to our viewers,stay tuned for more updates and analyses as we continue to follow the gripping world of Formula 1!