2023 Qatar F1 Grand Prix Race analysis by Peter Windsor
In a surprising twist for the Qatar GP, teams were mandated at the eleventh hour to execute a minimum of three pit stops due to concerns over the track's kerbs. This unexpected change raised speculations that McLaren-Mercedes, and potentially the main Mercedes team, might narrow the gap to Red Bull, given the reduced emphasis on Red Bull's renowned tyre conservation strategy. To counteract, Max Verstappen and his crew reserved a fresh set of Medium Pirellis for the final leg of the race. This tactic paid off brilliantly.
However, Max didn't have much to stress about when it came to the Mercedes duo. An off-course mishap saw Lewis Hamilton veering off at the first bend, while a subsequent collision meant George Russell had to dart into the pits for a tyre change early on. When Verstappen made his final exit from the pit, he was merely 3.7 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri's McLaren. But with new rubber beneath him, Verstappen clocked the fastest lap and expanded his lead, clinching the race with a margin of nearly five seconds. Piastri and Lando Norris claimed the second and third spots, with Russell staging a commendable comeback to secure fourth. Meanwhile, a solitary Charles Leclerc from Ferrari rounded off the top five, with his teammate, Carlos Sainz, missing the race due to a fuel system malfunction.
A staggering 18 out of the 20 racers on Sunday were penalized for overstepping track boundaries. Notably, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez bore the brunt of the penalties with multiple counts against them. Lewis Hamilton's race was over before it began, leaving Max Verstappen as the only other driver without any infringements - a testament to his prowess as the 2023 F1 World Champion. Dive into a detailed analysis with Peter Windsor in a video recap where he highlights the pivotal events of the day, including a deep dive into the Hamilton-Russell incident at the 06:26 mark.
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