As the gap in both championship races narrows again, we only have two more races for the questions to be answered. Mercedes hold a slender lead in the Constructor’s Championship, whilst the Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen, still keeps Lewis Hamilton behind him. After an interesting race from the desert, let’s break down events from the weekend.
Lewis eases to victory to maintain title hopes…
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton made is two wins on the bounce to close the gap to Max Verstappen further, with the deficit now only eight points, with two races to go. It was a controlling display in which the seven-time champion showcased his full experience and skill to win the Grand Prix by nearly half a minute. Yes, Max Verstappen had just pitted again for the fastest lap point, but he was never troubled at any point after lights out. A response over these final few races was not only needed by Hamilton, but was, in a sense, expected. Max Verstappen, even with a pre-race penalty, didn’t put a foot wrong and will be pleased with his nineteen points haul from Doha. With two remaining Middle Eastern races remaining, it’s the Dutchman who holds a narrow lead. He knows that Lewis will be gunning for his though, with that most recent Mercedes engine working wonders so far.
He’s only gone and Fernando-ne it!
104 races between podiums, just short of a record. It’s been over seven years since the Spaniard stood on top of the podium, and he did have a slice of fortune in finishing third. Had it not been for a late Virtual Safety Car, Sergio Perez would have surely caught and passed Alonso, with the two-time world champion nursing his tyres incredibly well, after seeing punctures elsewhere (we’ll come to that). However, luck alone wasn’t responsible for Fernando’s success in Qatar. The veteran driver drove excellently and showed the composure we all knew he still had. Not only that, but the car seemed well suited to the Lusail circuit, much more than expected it has to be said. In what was an excellent weekend for Alpine, they are now in prime position to finish fifth in the constructor’s standings. For Alonso, and many of his supporters would surely agree, a podium finish has been coming for some time.
Ferrari off the pace all weekend yet still manage to beat McLaren…
With both Alpine cars finishing in the top five, you would be reasoned in questioning where McLaren and Ferrari were, considering how strong both teams expected to be at this venue. Charles Leclerc didn’t have the answers for the struggle the prancing horses were enduring on Saturday. Only a managed drive meant they took home a handful of points come Sunday. Meanwhile, McLaren were also off the pace, but did have to contend with bad luck on occasion also. A poorly timed puncture for Lando Norris sent his dreams of a top five finish crashing down the pan, whilst the inconsistent Daniel Ricciardo, never looked particularly “at the races”, if you’ll pardon the pun. Barring a disaster, that should see the Italian team finish ahead of the British constructor. That being said, there remains two last chances for McLaren to overturn the difference.
Tyres not holding on, prelude of things to come?
Multiple drivers suffered punctures on Sunday night, the one-stop strategy was nail-bitingly nervous, with drivers and teams alike concerned with how their wheels would fair. That being said, it left drivers little choice but to hang on and take a risk. Both Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris never really pushed on after their second stop, and had someone like Fernando Alonso or Lance Stroll decided to come into the pits, they would have surely fallen out of the points positions. It seemed that the curbs weren’t the best place to be this weekend, and that can be a problem if that’s where you find the most pace. It is even more clear now just what role the tyres can play across the weekend. The red soft tyre is a Q3 and fastest lap tyre. The medium compound is used to start the race, as it’s more durable than it’s softer young brother. The race tyre choice is clearly the hard, however. It is durable, gives the driver’s options and, over the longer distance, is relatively quick also. With the final couple of races around the corner, we will look to see what kind of role compound strategy plays, in determining the fate of the championships.
Is Valtteri Bottas the most unlucky driver, of all time?
Quite possibly, he is certainly a contender, that’s for sure. A harsh penalty left him with it all to do come lights out and, after a slow start, he had found his way up to P3. And then, whilst doing a longer stint, his left front blew, seemingly, on its one. The curbs may have been harsh on the cars physically, but it didn’t appear as if the Finn went too wide at all. When this happened, the immediate thought was that this wasn’t an anomaly. In fact, if I had to name a driver who I think would suffer a puncture, it would be him. It has happened countless times before during both his Mercedes and Williams runs. The eventual retirement potential cost the team the chance to go for fastest lap themselves, and who knows how important that sole point could prove to be. One thing is for sure, Bottas still has a huge role to play in where the constructor’s title ends up. It would be a fitting end to his time with the team, if he could help them achieve yet another word championship.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 