After clinching his fourth world championship in Las Vegas, Max Verstappen took the top step for the ninth time this season in Qatar. The penultimate race had much to offer, whether it was penalties, gifted wins, or another title fight.
Max Verstappen claims his ninth victory of 2024 in Qatar. Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool/ Getty Images.
While Verstappen claimed the drivers' championship this year, the constructors' championship is still up for grabs. McLaren is still at the top of the standings, but Ferrari is slowly closing the gap to first place.
Qatar hosted the final sprint race of the season, allowing the drivers to gain more points as the year comes to a close. Lando Norris came out on top during sprint qualifying, earning pole position with his teammate Oscar Piastri in third. This was a great position for the papaya team, as it can help them gain vital points in the title fight.
With papaya rules finally out of the way, Norris swapped positions with Piastri on the final lap, a risky but endearing move. The British driver claimed that he had this planned since the race in Brazil, wanting to give back due to Piastri being a team player multiple times. With the 1-2 win, McLaren was able to extend their lead against Ferrari by 30 points.
The two papaya drivers managed a 1-2 finish in the sprint race in Qatar. Courtesy of McLaren.com.
After a few short hours, the driver set out again on the track for qualifying. Williams was unlucky once again, with both drivers knocked out of Q1. By the end of Q2, four total teams had been effectively knocked out of qualifying.
While he qualified sixth in sprint qualifying, Verstappen was able to bounce back and claim pole position ahead of the race on Sunday. However, his celebrations were short-lived as he earned a 1-place grid penalty, putting him behind George Russell.
As the lights went out in Qatar, Verstappen passed Russell with ease, gaining him first place. Norris was also able to slip through into second and almost managed an overtake on the Dutch driver, but fell behind.
Formula 1 wouldn’t be the sport it is without turn 1 incidents, and Qatar was no exception. Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto were out by lap one after the two cars hit each other at the first corner. Colapinto’s crash marked Williams’ 16th crash of the season, costing the team a reported amount of over $10 million.
While Norris was lucky during the sprint race, it seems his luck had run out on Sunday. The FIA hit the British driver with a 10-second stop-and-go penalty, forcing him to go into the pits to serve it before the end of the race. This penalty put him at the back of the field, where he had to scramble to earn points.
While one McLaren driver may have fallen back, the team still triumphed, as Piastri claimed third place on the podium. Norris took an extra point for the fastest lap and still managed a lead over Ferrari. The team wasn’t able to clinch the title in Qatar, so the top team will take the crown in Abu Dhabi.
Both Ferrari and Mclaren claimed podium spots in Qatar, putting the fight for the Constructors’ title even closer for the final race. Courtesy of Autosport.com.
With one race to go, changes have already been made ahead of the 2025 season. Alpine announced that Esteban Ocon would not drive for the team during the final race in Abu Dhabi, allowing him to take place in Haas’ post-season test. Jack Doohan, who signed with the team for 2025, will join Alpine early to replace Ocon during the race.
With one last race coming up, there is much to expect. Lewis Hamilton will be racing for the final time with Mercedes, the team he has been with since 2013. Multiple drivers will be racing for the last time in Formula 1, marking a final goodbye for the 2024 grid.
Edited by Reese Dlabach
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