Naijahood
Max Verstappen secured his third consecutive world championship title on a dramatic Saturday at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he finished second in a thrilling sprint race behind the rookie sensation, Oscar Piastri.
Oscar Piastri, the 22-year-old Australian, celebrated his maiden Formula One victory in style. However, this achievement was somewhat overshadowed by Verstappen’s remarkable feat. Verstappen only needed three points to clinch the championship, and with his main title rival and Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, involved in a collision and retiring, he became the first “Saturday champion” since Nelson Piquet in 1983 – an interesting twist given that Nelson Piquet is the father of Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly.
Piastri’s victory marked McLaren’s first win since Daniel Ricciardo’s triumph at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix and only the second time in the season that Red Bull had been bested.
Verstappen’s championship win came with six races left in the season, making it the largest margin since Michael Schumacher’s 2002 victory with Ferrari. He joined an exclusive club of three-time F1 champions, including legends such as Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna, and Jackie Stewart. Furthermore, he became part of an even more exclusive group by winning three titles consecutively, alongside the likes of Juan-Manuel Fangio, Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton.
In response to his victory, Verstappen expressed his gratitude to his team and emphasized his focus on continuing to race and win, without fixating on specific records. He said, “We’ll keep on pushing and doing the best we can.”
With an unassailable 184-point lead and six races remaining in the season, Verstappen’s dominance was undisputed.
Piastri, the race winner, said, “I am very happy, but that was a stressful race. We did a great job.”
Lando Norris, Piastri’s McLaren teammate, finished third, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, and the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Further down the field, Alex Albon of Williams secured eighth place, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin came in ninth, and Pierre Gasly of Alpine rounded out the top ten.
The sprint race unfolded under warm conditions and floodlights at the Lusail International Circuit after a sweltering day. Piastri made an excellent start, while Norris faced multiple skirmishes that caused him to drop from second to sixth. Russell moved into second place, followed by the two Ferraris, with Verstappen in fifth.
Drama ensued as Liam Lawson ran off-track, prompting a Safety Car intervention. When racing resumed, Alonso engaged Norris in a wheel-to-wheel battle, and Piastri briefly lost the lead to Russell.
However, Piastri’s choice of medium compound tires paid off, and he regained the lead. Meanwhile, Verstappen was well aware that he only needed to finish in the top six to secure his third championship.
Perez and Verstappen showcased Red Bull’s speed, with Perez moving up to 10th by passing Pierre Gasly, and Verstappen overtaking both Ferraris in succession.
On lap 10, Piastri retook the lead by passing Russell, while Perez’s race took a disastrous turn with a collision involving Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg. Perez spun across the gravel and retired from the race, effectively ending his mathematical hopes for the championship.
As the race restarted on lap 16, Verstappen made it clear that he was determined to claim the championship with a win. He overtook Russell to take second and began his pursuit of Piastri, capping off an eventful and historic day at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Comments
Loading…