The 2023 Formula One Qatar Grand Prix took place at the 5.419 km long Lusail International Circuit as the fourth Sprint weekend of the season. The weekend saw Max Verstappen being crowned the 2023 World Champion after the Sprint, while rookie Oscar Piastri managed to bring home his first win in Formula One, while the Red Bull star also managed to bring home his 14th victory of the season.
Despite the brutal weather resulting in concern over drivers' health and tricky track conditions due to the sand being flown onto the track, the 2023 Qatar GP was one of the more entertaining races of the season. We have put together a list of the top winners and top losers from the F1 Qatar Grand Prix, take a look -
WinnersAlfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu was the slowest driver on the grid in Friday's qualifying session and didn't gain any points in the Sprint either. With Carlos Sainz missing out participation in the Qatar GP due to a technical fault, Zhou started the race from P19. Despite starting behind everyone else on the grid, the Chinese driver made an exceptional recovery, crossing the finish line on ninth and bringing home two points. This means Zhou gained 10 positions - the highest for any driver at the Qatar Grand Prix.
George Russell was promoted to the front row in Qualifying, starting the race from P2 with a podium finish in sight. However, a first turn crash with his own teammate took the British racing driver into the gravel, with Russell re-entering the track behind the pack. That said, Russell is another driver who made a great recovery, constantly moving up ranks and seeing the chequered flag on fourth. Mercedes four-stop strategy saw him pitting with 10 laps to go, and new soft rubber helped him keep danger away.
McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri had finished Qualifying 3 as the fourth fastest driver, however, a track limit penalty had him line up on P6 for the race start. The celebrations of his first Formula 1 victory at the Sprint must have doubled after crossing the finish line on second on Sunday, only behind Max Verstappen, and ahead of his teammate Norris. Furthermore, the Australian was voted the Driver of the Day by the fans.
Piastri's teammate Lando Norris was also penalised in Qualifying for exceeding track limits, with his P2 brutally stripped off for a P10 race start. However, the 23-year old was dialed in throughout the race and managed to finish the Qatar GP right behind his teammate, together earning the Papaya team valuable 33 points. His heroics moved him up a spot in Driver Standings too. Moreover, Norris' 1.8-second pit stop became the fastest pit stop in Formula 1 ever!
LosersWith a four-stop strategy, Lewis Hamilton started the Qatar Grand Prix race from P3 on soft tyres. The tyre advantage led Hamilton to try to overtake his teammate right after race start - which Russell managed to defend. On turn 1, Hamilton made a move on the outside, however, got too close to his partner resulting in a crash. While Russell managed to continue going, Hamilton's weekend ended in a disappointing manner. The seven-time World Champion took "full responsibility" for the crash, and apologised to Russell after the race.
Pierre Gasly lined up seventh on the grid, ahead of his teammate Esteban Ocon. But after taking three separate five-second penalties for track limits infringements, the Alpine driver was out of points, finishing P12. After the race, Gasly also revealed that he had an engine issue that was costing him pace throughout. The French driver acknowledged that he made "too many mistakes" in a post-race interview.
Currently sitting on second in the Driver Standings, Sergio Perez has Hamilton and Fernando Alonso eyeing for the spot. After finishing 13th fastest in Qualifying, the Red Bull Racing driver starting the race from the pit lane due to the change of a range of power unit components in his car after his crash during the Sprint. Similar to Gasly, Checo was handed three five-second penalties for exceeding track limits - two of which were served during pit stops. The final penalty saw him drop from ninth to 10th, thereby earning him a solitary point in a race which could see him move further away from Hamilton in Driver Standings.
The Qatar GP was rated as "toughest race ever" by a host of drivers due to the hot and humid weather that resulted in some of them passing out in the car, throwing up in their helmets, and even pulling out of the race and fainting in the aftermath! Drivers were seen opening their helmet lids on various occasions to get some air in. Williams' Logan Sargeant was forced to retire due to severe dehydration, while Ocon said that he was throwing up inside his helmet by lap 15, 16! Aston Martin's Lance Stroll revealed that he was passing out in the car during the race.
The decision to hold the Qatar GP race in the month of October ended up being a terrible idea by the FIA attracting scrutiny and putting the health of drivers on risk. The race was first held in Qatar in late November 2021, and after a one year hiatus, returned to the calendar this year. Fortunately, the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix will be held between November 29 and December 1, 2024 as the second-last round next year.
Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India.A passionate automotive journalist, Sahil takes inspiration from ...
Read MoreA passionate automotive journalist, Sahil takes inspiration from the likes of Doug DeMuro and Mat Watson. His dream car is the Porsche 911, while he is also a fan of go-anywhere adventure touring motorcycles.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment