You should never underestimate the heart of a champion. Much less than a four-time champion. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) He has shown once again that he is the best driver in Formula 1, With his win at the Qatar Grand Prix, he moved up one place in the drivers’ table and earned the chance to become champion on the final day in Abu Dhabi. Something that would have been unthinkable before the summer break in Europe because it was so far away from McLaren Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The Dutchman started third behind Piastri and Norris, and initially overtook the Briton. His team’s strategy was decisive, and the most important decision was his entry into the pits on the seventh lap, when the safety car came in due to a collision between Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine). Despite the regulatory obligation to stop twice, McLaren did not do so, and thus the four-time champion returned to the race behind them and without retreating.
In the second half of the race, when Piastri and Norris made their second pit stop, Verstappen took the lead and headed for his seventh victory, a crucial number also because in the event of a tie on points at the end of the championship, the winner will be decided in favor of whoever achieved the most pole positions. Norris and Piastri, who came in second place before Carlos Sainz (Williams) They have the same number of wins as Verstappen – seven – and after giving their team the constructors’ title, they will be hoping not to miss out on the drivers’ title next weekend at Yas Marina.
Franco Colapinto (Alps), For his part, he finished 14th in a race that started from the pit area and took advantage of accidents on the track to move up the positions. The positive thing for the Argentine, other than the fact that he did not score points and is the only active driver without units in the table, is that he did not make any mistakes and arrived ahead of his teammate Gasly, who had started from ninth position.
2024
Williams
2025
Alps