There was plenty of fun in Lusail, despite the drivers’ championship being settled the previous weekend in Las Vegas.
McLaren looked in prime position to tie up the constructors’ championship and notched a one-two in the final sprint of 2024. But from there, chief rivals Ferrari and especially Red Bull found a serious performance improvement for grand prix qualifying and the race.
Max Verstappen should have started the GP on pole, but was handed a one-place grid penalty for going unnecessarily slowly between flying laps — hampering George Russell in the process.
Russell complained, Verstappen took exception, and the world champion sought race domination from there — which he delivered through the safety cars.
The drivers’ row however, that caught fire immediately after the race as Verstappen launched into the Mercedes man. And yes, those digs have continued into this weekend…
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Chaotic F1 Qatar GP ends with Max Verstappen win, sets up season finale showdown
