Formula 1’s 2024 Qatar Grand Prix Race Review
The 2024 Qatar Grand Prix delivered a racing spectacle under the shimmering floodlights of the Lusail International Circuit. From Lando Norris’s commanding Sprint Qualifying performance to Oscar Piastri’s dramatic Sprint Race victory, McLaren’s resurgence was a headline story. Yet, the Grand Prix itself belonged to Max Verstappen, whose clinical drive showcased the mastery of a champion amid a weekend teeming with chaos, penalties, and recovery drives.
As the penultimate event of an electrifying Formula 1 season, the Qatar Grand Prix provided action at every turn, with constructors’ battles tightening and mid-grid teams scrambling for every point. From first-lap collisions to strategic gambles that paid off—or did not—the weekend was a microcosm of a season that has kept fans on the edge of their seats. Here is a detailed look at how it all unfolded.
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Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Recap
Lando Norris claimed an emphatic Sprint pole at the Qatar Grand Prix, dominating every segment of Sprint Qualifying to secure P1 with a remarkable lap of 1:21.012. The Briton looked untouchable under the Lusail International Circuit’s floodlights, solidifying McLaren’s strong form. However, George Russell disrupted a potential McLaren front row lockout by slotting into second place, just 0.063 seconds behind, while Oscar Piastri settled for third.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz delivered a late flyer to claim fourth, edging out teammate Charles Leclerc in fifth. World champion Max Verstappen managed sixth for Red Bull, followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in seventh. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly secured eighth, with Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Liam Lawson of RB rounding out the top 10.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed Q3, finishing 11th in his Aston Martin. Alex Albon’s solid run for Williams earned him 12th, while Valtteri Bottas impressed with 13th for Kick Sauber. Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen completed the top 15.
The session proved challenging for Sergio Perez, who exited early in P16, continuing his tough streak in qualifying. Yuki Tsunoda followed in P17, with Esteban Ocon, Zhou Guanyu, and Franco Colapinto rounding out the bottom five. Notably, Colapinto suffered his first Q1 elimination after struggling to find pace.
With Norris leading the charge, McLaren heads into the final Sprint of the season in a commanding position. However, with Russell and Sainz close behind, the race promises a thrilling battle under the Qatari lights.
Qatar Grand Prix Sprint Race Recap
Oscar Piastri emerged victorious in the Qatar Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit, delivering a McLaren one-two after a dramatic finish. Teammate Lando Norris, who led the race from the start, moved aside in the final moments to let Piastri claim the win—a reciprocal gesture for Piastri’s team-centric move in Sao Paulo. The Australian’s measured drive, combined with Norris’s strategic sacrifice, bolstered McLaren’s push for the constructors’ title.
Norris got a stellar start from pole, holding off an aggressive charge from Piastri into Turn 1, while Piastri quickly dispatched Mercedes’ George Russell to claim second place. Russell remained a persistent threat, engaging in a tight battle with Piastri throughout the 19-lap dash but ultimately had to settle for third. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished fourth, narrowly ahead of Charles Leclerc, who displayed impressive overtaking skills to claim fifth after a thrilling duel with Lewis Hamilton, who ended up sixth.
Further back, Nico Hulkenberg secured seventh for Haas, while Max Verstappen recovered from a tough start to take the final points-paying position in eighth. The Dutchman struggled early on; reporting oversteers in his Red Bull but managed to claw his way back into contention. Behind him, Pierre Gasly missed out on points after a competitive start, while Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu gambled unsuccessfully on soft tires, eventually finishing outside the points.
The result strengthens McLaren’s grip on second place in the constructors’ standings, extending their lead over Ferrari to 30 points. With Piastri and Norris working in perfect harmony, McLaren continues to position itself as a major force in the championship battle.
Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying
George Russell will start the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix from pole position after Max Verstappen, who initially claimed the top spot in a thrilling qualifying session, was penalized for impeding Russell during his cooldown lap. This decision marked a dramatic conclusion to a session full of surprises and tight margins under the lights of the Lusail International Circuit.
Verstappen’s late surge to pole on a 1:20.520 lap briefly disrupted Russell’s earlier benchmark of 1:20.575. However, the incident between the two drivers led to a one-place grid drop for the Red Bull driver, handing Russell his second pole of the season. The Mercedes driver will lead a competitive grid, with Verstappen starting alongside him in P2.
Lando Norris, fresh from his Sprint Qualifying heroics, secured P3 for McLaren, sharing the second row with teammate Oscar Piastri in P4. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed P5, narrowly ahead of future teammate Lewis Hamilton in P6. Carlos Sainz starts P7, with Fernando Alonso delivering a solid P8 for Aston Martin. Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10.
Drama Unfolds in Q3
Q3 saw Russell initially dominate with a stellar lap of 1:20.575, but Verstappen’s late charge snatched provisional pole by just 0.055s. The stewards’ post-session decision to penalize Verstappen added a layer of intrigue to the grid, with the world champion now tasked with reclaiming lost ground during the race.
McLaren locked out the second row, building on their Sprint success earlier in the weekend. Ferrari and Mercedes each placed two drivers in the top six, setting up a fascinating strategic battle for the Grand Prix. Alonso’s P8 and Magnussen’s P10 highlighted strong performances for Aston Martin and Haas, respectively, while Perez salvaged a P9 result after a challenging weekend.
2024 Qatar Grand Prix
Verstappen’s Masterful Drive Amid Chaos
Verstappen wasted no time asserting himself, claiming the lead into Turn 1 after a strong start. Battling George Russell and Lando Norris in the opening corners, the Dutchman solidified his position at the front. However, the drama began almost immediately, with a first-lap collision between Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hulkenberg, which triggered the first Safety Car.
Upon the restart, Norris pressured Verstappen for the lead but could not find a way past. As the race developed, Norris’s pace kept him in contention until a critical error—failing to slow under yellow flags—resulted in a 10-second stop/go penalty. The punishment dropped the McLaren driver to the back, leaving him to claw back into the points with a determined recovery drive to P10.
Verstappen, unfazed by the chaos around him, managed the race superbly. Even as rivals like Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri mounted late charges, the Red Bull driver crossed the line six seconds clear, marking his ninth victory of the season.
Leclerc and Piastri Shine in Pursuit
Leclerc secured P2 for Ferrari after a strong and consistent performance. The Monegasque driver avoided trouble and executed a flawless strategy to claim the runner-up spot, finishing just ahead of Piastri. The Australian driver’s P3 capped off another strong weekend for McLaren, who remain locked in a tense constructors’ battle with Ferrari heading into the season finale.
Drama and Recovery Drives Define the Midfield
George Russell, who started from pole, endured a challenging day. After losing the lead early, a slow pit stops, and an unfortunate tire strategy saw him drop to the midfield. However, the Mercedes driver battled back to secure P4, albeit with a late five-second penalty for a Safety Car infringement that did not alter his position.
Pierre Gasly delivered a standout performance for Alpine, fending off Carlos Sainz to take P5 and secure valuable points for the team’s fight for sixth in the constructors’ standings. Sainz recovered admirably from an early puncture to finish P6, while Fernando Alonso’s P7 added more points for Aston Martin.
The feel-good story of the day belonged to Zhou Guanyu, who scored Kick Sauber’s first points of the season with a stellar drive to P8. The Chinese driver also claimed the Driver of the Day award, capping off a memorable outing for the team.
Penalties and Retirements Shake the Field
The race saw no shortage of incidents and penalties. Hamilton’s race unraveled with a false start penalty and a puncture, relegating him to P12 in his penultimate race for Mercedes. Norris’s penalty proved costly for McLaren’s constructors’ title ambitions, while Hulkenberg, Perez, Stroll, Colapinto, and Ocon were all early retirees.
What’s Next
The 2024 season now heads to its grand finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With McLaren and Ferrari still vying for the constructors’ championship and the midfield teams battling for key positions, the Yas Marina Circuit promises a fitting end to an enthralling season.
2024 Qatar Grand Prix Final Results
| RANK | DRIVER | COUNTRY | TEAM | FASTEST LAP |
| 1 | MAX VERSTAPPEN | NETHERLANDS | RED BULL | |
| 2 | CHARLES LECLERC | MONACO | FERRARI | |
| 3 | OSCAR PIASTRI | AUSTRALIA | MCLAREN | |
| 4 | GEORGE RUSSEL | BRITAIN | MERCEDES | |
| 5 | PIERRE GASLY | FRANCE | ALPINE | |
| 6 | CARLOS SAINZ JR | SPAIN | FERRARI | |
| 7 | FERNANDO ALONSO | SPAIN | ASTON MARTIN | |
| 8 | ZHOU GUANYU | CHINA | SAUBER | |
| 9 | KEVIN MAGNUSSEN | DENMARK | HAAS | |
| 10 | LANDO NORRIS | BRITAIN | MCLAREN | 1:22.384 |
| 11 | VALTERRI BOTTAS | FINLAND | SAUBER | |
| 12 | LEWIS HAMILTON | BRITAIN | MERCEDES | |
| 13 | YUKI TSUNODA | JAPAN | RB | |
| 14 | YUKI TSUNODA | NEW ZEALAND | RB | |
| 15 | ALEXANDER ALBON | THAILAND | WILLIAMS | |
| RETIRED | NIKO HULKENBERG LAP 39 | GERMANY | HAAS | |
| RETIRED | SERGIO PEREZ LAP 38 | MEXICO | RED BULL | |
| RETIRED | LANCE STROLL LAP 8 | CANADA | ASTON MARTIN | |
| RETIRED | FRANCO COLAPINTO LAP 0 | ARGENTINA | WILLIAMS | |
| RETIRED | ESTEBAN OCON LAP 0 | FRANCE | ALPINE |
Sources
- “Norris storms to impressive Sprint Qualifying pole in Qatar ahead of Russell and Piastri”
- “Piastri takes victory in Qatar Sprint as Norris reverses positions on last corner in McLaren one-two”
- “Russell promoted to pole after Verstappen had taken surprise P1 in Qatar by just 0.055s”
- “Verstappen surges to victory ahead of Leclerc and Piastri in action-packed Qatar Grand Prix amid three Safety Cars”
