In an exciting but not overly thrilling race, Max Verstappen took a clear victory in Qatar, while behind him, Lando Norris's error left the fight for the constructors' championship practically open until the final race.
George Russell got off to a good start, but Max Verstappen reacted even better and quickly took the lead. Lando Norris, in a surprising third place, almost played a trick on them both, and after two corners was already fighting for the lead, but Verstappen managed to repel his attack. At the rear, Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon collided, resulting first in a yellow flag and then a safety car phase. The other Williams was also unlucky; Alexander Albon was taken off the track by Lance Stroll, but at least he was able to continue the race. Nico Hülkenberg, meanwhile, was rewarded for his foray with a puncture...
Verstappen made a good restart, and there were no major changes behind him, with only Oscar Piastri managing to gain positions. The race, which started with a bang, flattened out so much in the middle that the field stabilized. Verstappen, Norris, Russell, the two Ferraris, and the others... We only saw battles and mistakes at the back, but these didn't raise the temperature too much either. Then came the pit stops, which Russell handled very poorly, practically eliminating him from the fight. His place and his chances of a podium finish were taken by the Scuderia Ferrari drivers, who showed up with good tire management and a one-stop strategy.
A serious problem occurred when Alexander Albon lost his rearview mirror, which came to rest in the middle of the finishing straight, causing multiple punctures. Another safety car followed, another restart, during which Verstappen, on unheated tires, made a mistake that Norris should have taken advantage of to easily overtake him. This didn't happen, so the order remained the same as before. However, another safety car arrived, and another drama... Norris received a penalty for failing to respect a section under yellow flag, and the ten seconds meant that even scoring points became difficult for the Briton. Meanwhile, at the front, the order was Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and this didn't change until the checkered flag.
