The Associated Press, by James Ellingworth
USAIL, Qatar (AP) Following his triumph in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday after Lando Norris was given a penalty that terminated his chances of winning the race.
The stewards once more played a pivotal role during a period of rule dispute and turmoil at the governing body. Prior to his penalty, Norris had been vying for the lead with Verstappen. Although Norris hadn’t slowed down, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella maintained that the penalty was excessively severe.
“If we want fairness to be a part of racing in Formula 1, it’s definitely material that the FIA should take very seriously,” Stella stated. It appears to me that a book with a lot of dust on the cover must have been removed from somewhere. I’ll apply this and see what it says. It seems a bit overly straightforward.
Verstappen took revenge on the Mercedes driver off the line in the race after being demoted from pole to second place following an altercation with George Russell during qualifying.
Before fending off a challenge from Norris into the next turn, Verstappen teamed up with Russell to take the inside line into the first corner.
Drama filled the race as Norris was penalized for failing to slow down while there were yellow warning flags, and the safety car came out three times. Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate at McLaren, finished third, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari came in second.
Verstappen has won two of the last three races, but he hadn’t triumphed in dry conditions since June. Last week, he won his fourth straight crown in Las Vegas.
Verstappen stated, “It was a lot of fun out there.” Very pleased. Being this competitive hasn’t happened in a long time. Extremely pleased of the entire crew.
At one point, Norris and Piastri both eyed podium finishes, giving McLaren the chance to win its first constructors title since 1998 in Qatar.
Leclerc’s second finish and Carlos Sainz Jr.’s strong sixth place after a puncture appeared to have ruined his race helped Ferrari trim McLaren’s advantage from 30 to 21 points following Norris’ punishment. Next week’s season-ending race in Abu Dhabi will now determine the constructors’ championship.
Ferrari’s spirits will rise as a result.
The battle will continue until the final race in Abu Dhabi next week, Leclerc stated. “We knew it was going to be a very difficult weekend compared to the McLaren, but we even managed to take some points away from them.”
On Sunday, December 1, 2024, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates his victory at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar, in the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix. Darko Bandic/AP Photo
The year will come to an exciting conclusion. It will take everything we have to close the transaction, but maybe we can be strong, Piastri stated.
Russell finished fourth, ahead of Pierre Gasly, who continued Alpine’s recent strong performance. Sainz came in sixth, and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin came in seventh.
After being relegated to 15th place by the penalty, Zhou Guanyu and Sauber took their first points in eighth place, ahead of Kevin Magnussen for Haas in nine and Norris in tenth.
Shortly after Valtteri Bottas Sauber broke a discarded wing mirror on the track, Lewis Hamilton and Sainz both sustained punctures. The safety car reappeared as glass and carbon fiber were strewn over the course.
Seven-time champion Hamilton, who started in 12th place and incurred penalties for speeding in the pit lane and jumping the start, had a long and difficult race.
http://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing is the AP auto racing website.
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