Lewis Hamilton achieves victory in Qatar, narrows down his gap with Verstappen
After a win in Qatar, Lewis Hamilton cut shorts the title lead to 8 points.
Verstappen recovers despite starting P7 because of penalty for failing to reduce speed under yellow flags
After twenty races in a gruelling Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton remains relentless and steadfast in his determination to push the fight for the title to the limit. The finely balanced battle hangs by a thread. Hamilton is clearly and rightly excited about this evidence from the Losail circuit, where his Mercedes team may have delivered the car to make a difference at a crucial moment.
Hamilton won with a consummate and controlled race from pole to flag, inches and perfect at a pace that Verstappen could not challenge. He has reduced the Dutchman’s lead from 14 points to eight, with 52 available in the last two races, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
A visibly energetic Hamilton enjoying back-to-back wins after winning the final lap in Brazil enjoyed the challenge and it was impossible not to feel the momentum shifting behind his attempt to claim an eighth record title. “I love it,” he said. “I love the close fight, the pressure and the demands it puts on you and the whole team. I really enjoyed it, we will bring our triple-A game with us for the last two races. I feel great, that Car is better than ever. “, I look forward to it. let the fight come. ”
Verstappen’s Red Bull just couldn’t keep up with the pace of the Mercedes, but at least it stayed close to Hamilton throughout the race as they left the field far behind. Alpine’s Fernando Alonso secured a starting place penalty shortly before the race because he had not slowed down in qualifying due to the yellow flag.
Mercedes and Hamilton did a flawless performance at Losail that they know will be necessary to win the title, but above all at a terrifying pace. Team boss Toto Wolff confirmed when asked, is now better than he had been with his driver all season in ominous form after his recovery from the penalty in Brazil.
“Yes, definitely,” he said. “The car is quick on the straights and good on the corners. Lewis is totally in the zone, the lion woke up in Interlagos. Saudi Arabia should be a good track for us. If everyone finishes the race, [the fight] is over.” “I’m going to Abu Dhabi.” It should be noted that both night races are under very similar conditions to those in Qatar, where Mercedes has eagerly found the car’s sweet spot.
Verstappen acknowledged there was nothing he could do. “We just didn’t have the pace to match them,” he said. “But there are two races to go and a lot of things can happen.” After the race Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner, who had endured a trying weekend, found no respite when he was summoned to the stewards for potentially bringing the sport into disrepute after his critical comments regarding the marshalling on Verstappen’s penalty.
After Verstappen’s victory in Mexico, Horner had said to throw away the booklet of forms to foresee who could have an advantage in these final meetings. Advocating victories in this way seems ominously turned in favour of Mercedes at a crucial moment.
Hamilton improved by fourteen overall and enjoyed a clear advantage in racing speed. Red Bull continues to question the legality of Mercedes’ rear wing and the speed it gives its car, and after a weekend dominated by fierce controversy between the two. Teams will only escalate this off-track battle that will likely take place in the steward’s room.
In Qatar, where the higher downforce version of the wing is preferred, Red Bull did not believe it would take advantage of it, but can still protest against it in the next round. Mercedes is still convinced of its legality and will nevertheless have confidence after a broad top position in the decisive races.
The race was Hamilton’s race from the start, especially after Verstappen’s penalty resulted in his being unable to fight for the lead at Turn One. Hamilton did what was needed with a strong start, maintaining his lead on corner one while Verstappen also went out like a bullet.
He climbed from seventh to fourth as he exited the first corner, behind Alonso and Pierre Gasly he had passed both on the fifth lap to take second, but from there the first two positions were locked.
They duly swapped out the lap-time Slugfest tit for tat, best known this season as they swapped faster laps, but Hamilton held the five-second gap as they left the field behind.
On lap 13, however, Hamilton began to show the pace he had shown in qualifying, putting more than six seconds ahead of his rival as the two maintained a fierce pace, already 30 seconds off the road. ‘Alonso, third.
They were paired on both pit stops and Verstappen admitted he couldn’t challenge. “We’re going to have a bit of fun, we’re going to finish second anyway,” he said and the team gave him the green light to hammer his tires but still couldn’t put a mark on the seven-second mark on the lead.
Verstappen stopped late to secure the fastest lap for the extra point but, with a 10 second lead in the final third, the world champion had done enough to seal a comfortable victory. It was a little insignificant in Hamilton’s pantheon of 102 wins, but inevitably significant for the championship.
Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez was fourth and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon fifth. Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel occupied sixth and tenth places for Aston Martin, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc seventh and eighth for Ferrari and Lando Norris ninth for McLaren.