In an exciting but not too thrilling race, Max Verstappen celebrated a clear victory in Qatar, while behind him Lando Norris' mistake left the Constructors' World Championship practically open going into the final race.
George Russell got off to a good start, but Max Verstappen reacted even better and immediately took the lead. Lando Norris, in the winning third, almost tried to outsmart both of them and was already battling for first place after two corners, but Verstappen fended off his attack. Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon found each other in the back, which first led to a yellow flag and then a safety car period. The other Williams was also out of luck; Alexander Albon was spun by Lance Stroll, but at least he was able to continue the race. Nico Hülkenberg's retirement, however, was penalized with a flat tire...
Verstappen handled the restart well; behind him, there were no major changes. Only Oscar Piastri was able to gain positions. As spectacular as the race began, it flattened out towards the middle, as the field had settled down. Verstappen, Norris, Russell, the two Ferraris, and the others... We only saw battles and mistakes in the rear regions, but even these didn't raise our pulses much. Pit stops were due, but Russell's execution was very poor, effectively eliminating him from the rest of the race. The Briton had to relinquish his position and his podium chances to the Scuderia Ferrari drivers, who showed good tire management and a pit-stop strategy.
A serious problem arose when Alexander Albon lost his mirror, which remained in the middle of the straight, causing numerous punctures... Another safety car followed, another restart, during which Verstappen, on tires not yet warmed up, made a mistake that Norris should have easily exploited to overtake him. However, this failed, so the order remained the same as before. But another safety car came and more drama... Norris received a penalty for ignoring a yellow flag section, and the ten seconds meant that it was becoming difficult for the Briton to even score points. Meanwhile, the order at the front was Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri, and this remained the same until the chequered flag.
