The now four-time world champion Max Verstappen took his ninth win of the season on the finish of what was a dramatic Qatar Grand Prix, with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc securing a shock second place and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri finishing the rostrum. F1Technical’s senior author Balazs Szabo delivers groups’ response after the Lusail F1 race.
Max Verstappen, 1st
“I loved the race quite a bit general, particularly at first with Lando and I pushing one another fairly laborious. We had been main by Flip 1 after beginning P2, and had been capable of maximise and get the tyres in the suitable window.
“The automotive felt significantly better and I loved it loads on the market at this time. It was good to win within the dry as properly, it has been fairly a number of races since we’ve achieved that. It was undoubtedly not a boring race and there was loads to handle with the restarts and security automobiles all through, however we discovered from that and had been capable of keep in entrance.
“I’m very proud to win right here in Qatar, and pleased with the Crew for our performances this weekend, it’s a nice monitor and one in every of my favourites on the calendar. We now have to ensure we nail our setup in Abu Dhabi and to hopefully end the season with one other nice race.”
Sergio Perez, DNF
“Issues had been trying good on the time for me, I used to be sitting in P5 and we had been within the combine for the rostrum. Then as I used to be warming up the tyre, preparing for the restart, I had a large over supply as I used to be selecting up the throttle out of flip 12. With chilly tyres I couldn’t management it, it mainly meant I misplaced the automotive after which misplaced drive from that time onwards.
“It’s fairly disappointing to finish up like this. There have been some optimistic indicators for me this weekend with efficiency and I believe we’ve got learnt loads from the automotive this weekend and located good route. I believe the season hasn’t been nice for me, there was plenty of up and downs and we’ve got a number of issues to assessment there.
“We’re all on this collectively as a Crew and we try to get our season again on monitor, hopefully Abu Dhabi can try this and we are able to have a powerful weekend.”
Charles Leclerc, 2nd
“We anticipated this to be a tough weekend for us so I’m proud of how the race went at this time, having made up some factors on McLaren. We had some luck on my facet and a bit much less on Carlos’ with the puncture. We could have been capable of end second and third had it not been for that, which is a disgrace teamwise, however general, it was optimistic to be this aggressive right here.
“Driving for such an iconic staff as Ferrari, it could be wonderful for us to complete the season by bringing the constructors’ title again to Maranello. It gained’t be simple to attain the factors we have to win the title in a single weekend, however every part remains to be doable and we’ll do completely every part to realize it.”
Carlos Sainz, sixth
“I’m clearly not proud of the result of at this time’s race. We had been in a powerful place however sadly, I received a puncture and needed to full a whole lap with a flat tyre. After the pit cease, the Security Automobile got here out so the entire state of affairs price us much more time and finally some essential positions.
“Dragging the automotive for a whole lap led to some injury and the automotive felt a bit off, making issues tough for the final stint. That stated, I’m happy I managed to carry the automotive residence and along with Charles’ podium we managed to attain necessary factors. We’ll struggle till the final lap of the Abu Dhabi race for the championship, and hopefully end the season in one of the best ways doable.”
Lando Norris, tenth
“The staff gave me an important automotive at this time, it was the quickest on the market, so I am dissatisfied we haven’t been capable of safe most factors in Qatar. I do know the principles round Yellow Flags, however I missed it. I’ve to take that on the chin. I can solely apologise to the staff.
“We now have yet one more weekend to go now and we’ll head to Abu Dhabi with the identical mindset as another weekend, and that’s desirous to win.”
Oscar Piastri, third
“I’m proud of that. I loved the race and it’s a mega monitor, so it’s good to return away with one other podium. There have been some good battles on monitor, but it surely was difficult because the automobiles on the entrance appeared to have very comparable tempo to one another. It was robust to get into DRS, after which far sufficient into DRS to overhaul but it surely was nonetheless enjoyable, nonetheless.
“We had been simply unfortunate with the timing of the Security Automobile, however that’s racing. It’s going to take every part we’ve received to seal the deal subsequent week. It’s going to be an thrilling one.”
Esteban Ocon, DNF
“Sadly it was a disappointing weekend and a brief race for me at this time in Qatar. I had begin to the race and had handed Franco [Colapinto]; I used to be on the left facet of Nico [Hülkenberg] however I used to be on the unsuitable place on the unsuitable time.
“It received very slender and sadly, I used to be already on the skin when the collision occurred and our race was then over. It was a race incident and never one thing that we needed at this time.”
Pierre Gasly, fifth
“It was an unbelievable race at this time to complete in fifth place and I’m very glad for all of the staff. I felt like we managed the race properly proper from the start. It was a troublesome begin however we had the tempo to stick with Kevin [Magnussen] and as soon as he pitted it was flat out for us lap after lap. In the long run, with the Security Automobile, we pitted for Hards after which needed to preserve Carlos [Sainz] behind all the way in which till the chequered flag.
“It was actually an fulfilling race, the automotive felt good, we had been aggressive and I used to be fairly assured to hold on to that fifth place. We go into the ultimate spherical within the struggle for the Constructors’ Championship and we’ve got to be prepared for it.”
Fernando Alonso, seventh
“An excellent Sunday for us ending in seventh and with six factors scored. The automotive felt slightly stronger than yesterday and we capitalised on among the motion forward of us with some retirements and penalties, however we had been in the suitable place on the proper time tonight.
“It is a good time to get some factors on the board for the staff and hopefully we are able to carry this kind into Abu Dhabi and end the season on a excessive there.”
Lance Stroll, DNF
“The automotive wasn’t feeling proper from the beginning of the race. I locked the entrance left at Flip 2 which was unusual as a result of it is not likely a nook you brake that a lot for. Then at Flip 5 I made contact with Alex [Albon] which was fully unintentional. I wasn’t making an attempt to race him; I used to be simply making an attempt to carry my line on the within of the nook, however I picked up enormous ranges of understeer.
“I believe possibly my tyres weren’t working correctly as a result of I could not do something about it. It is a disgrace to retire from the race however we’ll go once more in Abu Dhabi subsequent weekend.”
Valtteri Bottas, eleventh
“As we speak was irritating, as every part appeared to go towards me after begin. The incident with Lawson price me monitor place and gave me flooring injury and, from there, I used to be on the again foot. Zhou was forward of me and, subsequently, had the primary choose on technique. The staff pitted me early to be taught concerning the efficiency of the laborious tyre, and the timing of the Security Automobile couldn’t have been worse: I completed eleventh ultimately — so near the factors, which makes it all of the extra disappointing.
“That stated, I’m glad for Zhou and the staff. It’s been a difficult 12 months and his P8 is a well-deserved outcome for everybody who has labored so laborious this season. Now it is off to Abu Dhabi, the place I hope we are able to end on a excessive observe. The staff has proven we may be aggressive, so let’s see what we are able to obtain within the last race.”
Zhou Guanyu, eighth
“What a race! I’m extremely glad for all the staff. As we speak was all about delivering a powerful efficiency, and we did simply that. We had nice tempo, stayed clear, and executed our technique completely, making overtakes when it mattered most. It’s a large enhance for everybody concerned.
“Lastly scoring some factors looks like an enormous reward for all of the laborious work and resilience we’ve proven this season. Given the place we began and the challenges we’ve confronted, this outcome means a lot extra. Shout out to the staff for delivering an important race.”
Nico Hulkenberg, DNF
“Flip one was messy; it was all occurring in a short time and it didn’t go properly, however I didn’t have any injury so was capable of proceed. I had a protracted stint in visitors after which was unfortunate with the security automotive as others received a free cease. On the restart I misplaced it in an enormous approach, in a high-speed nook, so it wasn’t our day.
“The primary half of the weekend went properly whereas the second half didn’t. I believe the efficiency within the automotive isn’t unhealthy, but it surely’s shut, and others round us have good efficiency; so now we have to reset and go once more.”
Kevin Magnussen, ninth
“I’m tremendous gutted with the security automotive popping out, it fully ruined the day for me. It was going properly and we had starting to the race, however I simply want that security automotive hadn’t come out as a result of it actually screwed us. There’s nonetheless one race to go and we’ll go into it giving every part.”
Liam Lawson, 14th
“We weren’t fast sufficient to be combating with the groups we must be at this time. I had a spin on the primary security automotive restart after I tried to overhaul Bottas. I didn’t have sufficient temperature within the tyres and misplaced the automotive and tried laborious to not make contact. After this, we caught the pack up and our tempo wasn’t unhealthy, however we had been out of place.
“We additionally skilled stability points in direction of the top of the race. It was a troublesome race, we additionally struggled right here final 12 months. We’ve made huge steps this season however there’s extra to be taken. Finally, we misplaced plenty of factors to our opponents, which we’ll struggle laborious for in Abu Dhabi.”
Yuki Tsunoda, thirteenth
“As we speak we had a troublesome race. We had begin and I knew it was one of the best alternative for us to achieve some positions, however after that, we merely began to have an absence of tempo and we misplaced positions.
“We’ll work collectively as a staff to assessment the information and get some studying for the long run to grasp what didn’t work this weekend. Abu Dhabi is subsequent week. Now all of us have to reset and we’ll be going there giving our greatest for the final race weekend of the season.”
Alex Albon, fifteenth
“It was a tough day. We had been slightly bit in no man’s land a lot of the race being in direction of the again and we had been scuffling with tempo. The Security Automobile made it fascinating, and we took that chance to placed on Softs. It was an optimistic gamble, however one price taking due to the tempo we had.
“We knew that on each Security Automobile restart the primary lap was the one one I may overtake and so we made up some positions and we had been within the factors for a bit, however we had been counting on one other Security Automobile which didn’t come so then the tyres began degrading fairly badly. For ten laps we had some good tempo however finally we weren’t fast sufficient.”
Franco Colapinto, DNF
“I’m dissatisfied to be taken out in Flip 1 after making an attempt to depart a large enough hole on my inside. I used to be within the unsuitable place on the unsuitable time and there was nothing I may do to keep away from it. It’s fairly irritating because the race had loads of alternatives to make issues occur that might’ve put us within the struggle.
“On the finish of the day, it’s a part of racing sadly. We’ll have to assess the injury from at this time. It’s necessary to have a clear weekend in Abu Dhabi and intention to complete the season on a excessive.”
F1GP Qatar
