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Giles Richards’ race report is here:
Thanks a lot for reading and for all the emails. That was a terrible race in many ways, but for all that, I will be tuning in for the season finale next week … funny old game.
Good night.
Updated at 13.06 EST
“David Coulthard even said yesterday that if there was a safety car early, everyone would pit,” emails Kevin.
”They should’ve watched Channel 4 highlights. Marginal gains.”
“It’s tough,” says Norris. “We have to have faith in the team. It was a gamble. Now it’s the wrong decision. We didn’t do a good job today … not our finest day but that’s life.
“It’s nothing to do with the team trying to play fair. Nothing to do with it. Everyone goes on about it.
“Red Bull did a better job as a team. They made the right call. We know why we didn’t make the right decision. You can’t get them all right. If the team does their job, and I do mine, we’ll be fine.”
“It’s a disappointing result overall,” says Andrea Stella of McLaren. “We lost the victory with Oscar and the podium with Lando, definitely not what we wanted. We have to review the decision during the safety car on lap seven
“It was a decision not to pit. We didn’t expect everyone else to pit. It would have been the right decision to pit, when you are the lead car, you don’t know what everyone else is going to do.
“It was a decision. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t the correct decision.
“The flexibility was – any other safety car would put us in a very strong position.
“It worked well for everyone stopping at lap seven. That’s what it is. We thought the pace in the car might allow us to open enough of a gap. We could not exploit the pace of the car. Not the desired outcome.
“You need to have a plan for the safety car. When it’s so late in a lap, it doesn’t give you a chance … but it’s not an excuse.
“We understand Oscar being extremely disappointed. He’s been fast, solid, consistent, he’s done everything right. Likewise Lando. We want to keep the options open for all our drivers.
“It is still in our hands. It comes down to the quality of our work … we go very determined into the finale of this season.”
“I was thinking,” emails Michael. (That’s always dangerous, by the way.)
“ … McLaren must have a plan, a strategy where they valued having their cars in P1 and P2 more than the pit stop. Surely there is a plan, right?
“Narrator voice: “There was no plan.”
“If one were of a conspiracy mindset, a grand choreographing of this and the previous race would seem eminently plausible,” writes Darryl. “A big fix taking the title fight to the final race all for “entertainment” value? Or of course one could just put it all down to the sheer stupidity that McLaren and their drivers have shown at crucial points all season.”
“Looking like another F1 stitch up in Abu Dhabi to me,” emails John.
“Discuss.”
Oh, I am sure they (we?) will.
“And the dorsal fin is right behind McLaren,” emails Joris van Wijk.
A shark. Photograph: Wildestanimal/AlamyShare
Updated at 12.48 EST
Latest drivers’ standings: top three
Norris 408pts
Verstappen 396pts
Piastri 392pts
Updated at 13.06 EST
“I’m so happy,” says Carlos Sainz of Williams. “So proud of the whole team. We came into this weekend thinking it would be the most difficult of the year … I was super quick. We nailed the pace, the start, the strategy, I could not be more proud. We got everything right today. We improved in so many areas. There were opportunities today and we grabbed all of them. I am over the moon.”
Williams driver Carlos Sainz. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/APShare
Piastri has a chat: “We didn’t get it right tonight. I drove the best race I could, as fast as I could, it wasn’t to be tonight.
“In hindsight it’s pretty obvious what we would have done [under the safety car]. We’ll discuss it as a team.
“It’s been a good weekend, the pace has been strong, it’s a little bit tough to swallow at the moment.”
“This was an incredible race for us,” says Verstappen. “We made the right call as a team under the safety car. Super happy to win. We stay in the fight to the end. Incredible. For us it was a very strong race. It was a tough weekend.”
“That’s an interesting move,” Verstappen adds of McLaren’s decision not to pit under the early safety car. “I knew then we had a bit of a gap … still, you have to keep the tyres alive.
“It’s all possible now. We’ll see. I don’t really worry about it too much.”
So Verstappen, going into Abu Dhabi, is 12pts down on Norris.
“I would love to be in the McLaren debrief,” says Karun Chandhok.
This all feels pretty terrible for McLaren. It’s going to be a tough week.
Updated at 12.35 EST
Qatar GP result
Verstappen
Piastri
Sainz
Norris
Antonelli
Russell
Alonso
Leclerc
Lawson
Tsunoda
Albon
Hamilton
Bortoleto
Colapinto
Ocon
Gasly
Stroll
Hadjar
Bearman
Hulkenberg
“Speechless,” says Piastri. “I don’t have any words.”
He ain’t happy. And quite rightly.
“Not sure what happened to Antonelli, Max … it looks like he just pulled over and let him through,” says someone on the Red Bull team of Norris taking fourth.
“Regardless of that we will fight to the end. Well done Max.”
“Well done on the strategy,” says Verstappen. “That’s a very lovely race, well done everyone,” says Verstappen.
ShareMax Verstappen wins the Qatar grand prix
His third consecutive win in Qatar.
Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/ReutersShare
Updated at 12.44 EST
Lap 57/57: Norris moves up to fourth after Antonelli runs wide! That could be big.
Lap 56/57: An email titled: “Re. F1 going downhill”
“I think you’ve hit upon an idea there!” writes Dan. “Works for skiing anyway.”
Lap 55/57:
Verstappen
Piastri +9.9sec
Sainz
Antonelli
Norris
Russell
Alonso
Leclerc
Lawson
Tsunoda
Lap 54/57: The commentators are starting to discuss permutations for the final race. Norris is down in fifth. Verstappen is 10.9sec ahead of Piastri in second.
Norris has eight second places, which may prove important in certain scenarios.
Lap 53/57: F1 may well have been going downhill since 1979. But then again who hasn’t?
Lap 53/57: “It may well be that 1mm wear on a skid block costs Norris the championship,” emails Richard. “Results changed long after the race. This is not a spectator sport.
“Maybe standing on the penultimate corner at Dijon in 1979 raised my expectations, but F1 has been going downhill ever since.”
Lap 52/57:
The top five –
Verstappen
Piastri +12sec
Sainz +10sec
Antonelli +2.7sec
Norris +.5sec
Updated at 12.20 EST
Lap 51/57: So in fairness, Piastri is shaving time off Verstappen’s lead, but six more laps isn’t going to be enough to make a difference.
Norris is still in fifth.
Lap 50/57: Piastri has reduced the gap to 12.9sec.
Lap 48/57: Norris is in fifth, after his second stop, trying to get past Sainz.
Verstappen leads by 14.3sec. He is home and hosed unless something astonishing happens.
“Just use your pace now,” Piastri is told.
This is ludicrous. They (McLaren) have completely messed this up. The commentators have been trying their best to maintain interest, and have farcically been hoping for another safety car to spice things up.
“If the race finished now, Verstappen would be 10 points behind Norris in the title race,” says Brundle.
Updated at 12.16 EST
Lap 47/57: “I gave up F1 a while ago,” writes Tim. “The new tracks are designed by the same guy and are similar and boring. The business seems to hate the old fun demanding tracks.”
Lap 45/57: Now Verstappen, Norris and Piastri have all pitted twice.
The F1 website says they are all on medium tyres, to perhaps the info about hard tyres for Piastri was wrong?
Lap 45/57: “Could the McLarens do the same thing teams do in Monaco,” emails Michael. “Norris slows down so Piastri can pit, and then reverse?”
An F1 car cannot reverse. (joking!)
Lap 43/57: Piastri comes in for hard tyres. That’s hard tyres. A 1.8sec stop.
Norris leads. Then Verstappen. Then Piastri.
“OK Max,” Verstappen is told on radio. “It’s Oscar who is pitted early, and is looking to chase you down now.”
THE RACE IS ON! (Or is it?)
Updated at 12.08 EST
Lap 42/57: Piastri is plotting something on the radio with him team. Are they going to pit and put soft tyres on?
Lap 41/57: Surely it would have been common sense for McLaren to pit if literally everyone else in the race pitted during the safety car? Even a relative F1 ignoramus like me can see that.
Lap 40/57: The Sky commentators have admitted defeat, and pointed out that Verstappen is going to win.
You were all well ahead of the game with your emails, so well done.
Updated at 12.04 EST
Lap 39/57: “The races are becoming more about technical errors than real racing,” emails Gordon. “We need more tracks where the drivers have a chance of really fighting for position and fewer that are predetermined by qualifying order barring penalties and poor pit lane decisions. It’s getting boring.”
Yes.
Top 10 right now:
Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris +7sec
Max Verstappen +2sec
Carlos Sainz
George Russell
Kimi Antonelli
Fernando Alonso
Isack Hadjar
Charles Leclerc
Lance Stroll
Lap 37/57: “This is the bit of the race where we need to be quicker than Max,” McLaren’s drivers are told over the radio. Which may be easier said than done.
ShareTop five as it stands
Piastri
Norris +4.7sec
Verstappen +8.1sec
Sainz +27sec
Antonelli +33sec
Lap 33/57: LOADS of cars pitted just then. It looked like George Russell came close to a shunt of some kind as one of the Racing Bulls came in past him just as he finished his stop. Ted Kravitz says Russell in fact came close to hitting someone in the pit lane. Perhaps the stewards will have a look at it.
Lap 32/57: “Good afternoon,” writes Bill Preston, which seems a fair enough opening gambit.
“With all the massive costs involved in the design and construction of modern racing tracks, surely there’s employment enough for someone to say “There isn’t sufficient space or safety margin with what we have for drivers to get stomp on and then with style, panache, and thrilling heroics have a several way tussle for the lead”?
“At least Monaco has boats and stuff.
“I hope Norris does well, but won’t begrudge Verstappen a win.
“Yours, grumpily …”
Lewis Hamilton on a boat in Monaco. Photograph: Florent Gooden/DPPI/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 11.54 EST
Lap 32/57: Lando Norris has been notified about breaching track limits twice. One more and he gets an official warning, two more and it’s a five-second penalty. (Says the expert, Brundle.)
Meanwhile, Verstappen is going to pit …
Lap 30/57: “Thanks for the coverage – my only channel to follow the F1 unbiased,” writes Peter. “It looks like McLaren’s strategic mishap will make Abu Dabi the F1 thriller of the year, like it was with Lewis and Max having all to play for.”
Yes, it’s shaping up to be a Verstappen v Hamilton thriller, like the 2021 vintage.
Lap 28/57: Verstappen leads.
Verstappen +14.8sec
Sainz
Antonelli
Piastri
Norris
Lap 26/57: Norris pits, a quick one at 2.2sec.
He reemerges on to the track, and only just holds off Alonso! Norris is fifth. Alonso sixth.
“That brings McLaren back into play a little bit,” insists Brundle.
McLaren’s Lando Norris in the pits. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/ReutersShare
Updated at 11.50 EST
Lap 25/57: Piastri pits. Norris leads.
Piastri has gone to medium tyres.
Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 11.44 EST
Lap 24/57: “Max is a fierce defender, and McLaren may have just made a massive blunder,” emails Ian. “I can somewhat see the argument they wanted to make, but with these tyre limits, it simply wasn’t the right call. The Dutch Lion may stay in this championship race til the end.”
Lap 23/57: Keep the emails coming. Tell me your views!
Lap 23/57: “If Norris wins he’s the champion!” says Croft on commentary.
That is a big if, based on what we’re looking at.
Updated at 11.40 EST
Lap 21/57: “However much excitement Croft and Brundle try to manufacture from this, the result seems clear to me. Verstappen will win,” emails James.
“The McLarens need to stop twice. Verstappen, and everyone else, only need to stop once more. Given races at this track are always a procession, all Verstappen has to do is manage his tyres and stay within 25 seconds of the McLarens. After all stops he’ll be ahead on a track that’s notoriously difficult to pass on.”
Champers for Max? Photograph: Greg Nash/UPI/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 11.38 EST
Lap 20/57: I mean sure, you can argue there is intrigue in tyre and pitstop strategy, but the emphasis on it illustrates the sheer lack of drama elsewhere in this race.
I sincerely hope I eat my words and it’s exciting at the end, but as it stands, Verstappen overtaking Norris into turn one is as thrilling as it’s going to get.
Updated at 11.35 EST
Lap 19/57: “Max is going to win today. Total pit-stop blunder by McLaren,” emails Ulrich. “Will they never learn?”
Updated at 11.33 EST
Lap 17/57: The only cars in the race who have not pitted are the McLarens. “A safety car in the next seven or eight laps would take a lot of pressure off the McLaren situation,” says Brundle.
It seems a bit farcical that none of this is about actual driving skill.
Lap 16/57: Leclerc is ninth, Hamilton is 14th. It’s another poor weekend for the Ferraris who have struggled throughout.
Lap 15/57: Gasly is back in the race after that crash. But it’s an early bath for Hulkenberg.
Lap 13/57:
Top 10 –
Piastri +2sec
Norris
Verstappen
Sainz
Antonelli
Alonso
Hadjar
Russell
Leclerc
Bearman
Lap 12/57: Up front, Piastri leads by 1.2sec and seems to be pulling away from his teammate Norris.
“The teams are limited on 25 laps each for each set of tyres,” explains Brundle. “McLaren have to get rid of these medium tyres at lap 25, they have to get everything out of them before that.”
Updated at 11.24 EST
Lap 10/57: So Norris is now second to Piastri following Verstappen’s pitstop during the safety car. The received wisdom is that the safety car has worked out horribly for McLaren.
“It feels to me that McLaren have missed a trick,” says Brundle on commentary.
What do you think? Email me.
Updated at 11.22 EST
Lap 10/57: McLaren have chosen not to pit during the safety car. Verstappen did, and has medium tyres on, that are two laps old right now.
“Expect the McLarens to push hard after the restart” Verstappen is told over the radio.
Hulkenberg’s car is being hauled off the track now. The safety car is about to end.
Verstappen hits the pits. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/APShare
Updated at 11.33 EST
Lap 9/57: Gasly was right on Hulkenberg’s tail into the corner. Hulkenberg’s rear right corner was clipped by Gasly’s front left wing.
“I can’t believe this,” Hulkenberg says on the radio. *expletive bleeped out* “Unbelievable. I gave [Gasly] him loads of space.”