Verstappen takes snug win after Norris penalty

Max Verstappen overcame three security automobiles to take an assured victory on the Qatar Grand Prix, as most important risk Lando Norris copped a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for rushing below yellow flags.

Verstappen led each lap of the race to clinch his ninth victory of 2024, having overcome a fits-and-spurts risk from Norris, which was in the end concluded when the McLaren driver was caught not slowing for yellow flags alongside the start-finish straight.

These had been produced for Alex Albon’s escaped wing mirror, which was run over by Valtteri Bottas to provide a bathe of particles alongside the straight – which was seemingly the perpetrator in mid-race punctures for Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen outdragged polesitter George Russell off the road; the Briton had assumed pole when the Dutchman was given a one-place grid drop for apparently baulking the Mercedes in qualifying.

Norris put Verstappen below scrutiny into the primary nook, having additionally claimed a great begin, however was proven the door by Verstappen and left to take a seat within the Pink Bull’s wheel tracks – though an early security automotive for a conflict between Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, and Esteban Ocon gave Norris an opportunity at a restart overtake.

However this was effectively managed by Verstappen, who left Norris behind on the lap-five restart and began to try to construct a result in clear DRS vary. He managed this, however Norris’ laps ensured that he may not less than stay inside two seconds of his former title rival.

Though there was an ebb and flowof a few tenth over the next laps between the 2 , Norris by no means regarded like placing Verstappen below a sensible risk – though all of a sudden discovered half a second on Verstappen at the beginning of lap 30.

This was the smoking gun in Norris’ future penalty; Verstappen had slowed for the debris-induced yellow flags and Norris had not, though this was not realised earlier than a chaotic section launched by Sainz and Hamilton concurrently selecting up front-left punctures.

The protection automotive was thus referred to as out to clear the mess, prompting Verstappen and Norris to lastly cease for the onerous tyres; on the restart, Norris stayed near the again of the main RB20 – the protection automotive lights had been late in going off – and bought a run into Flip 1. This problem, nevertheless, was defused expertly by Verstappen.

A direct third security automotive interval adopted resulting from Hulkenberg spilling his Haas into the gravel at Flip 9, though Norris was dropped on the later restart by Verstappen and as an alternative left to defend from a chasing Charles Leclerc.

At this juncture, Norris bought the information of his 10-second stop-and-go penalty, extinguishing his faint hopes of overhauling Verstappen within the last section of the race.

This left Verstappen free to plough a lonely furrow in entrance, and he crossed the road 6.1s away from Leclerc to finish his second victory in three races.

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2024 Qatar Grand Prix