Max Verstappen took a masterful victory in an eventful Qatar Grand Prix, a race that included three Safety Car deployments, numerous incidents and a penalty for Lando Norris that saw the Briton lose positions after fighting for the lead.

Your top 10 from a thrilling Qatar Grand Prix 📈#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/IjlTPtHQhp

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 1, 2024

Having lost pole position following a one-place penalty for a qualifying incident, Verstappen looked to be in fighting mode from the start, with the Dutchman winning a battle for the lead against George Russell and Norris at Turn 1.

It was a good race since qualifying, the track is very fun and the tyres responded in the best way. We have not been competitive on a dry track for a long time, but the team responded well and we deserve this victory.

However, it wasn’t necessarily a straightforward race from there on, as the Safety Car was deployed on the opening lap after Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon fell victim to an incident with Nico Hulkenberg.

This proved to be the first of three Safety Car appearances during the 57-lap encounter, and although on the second restart Norris was close to Verstappen in a fight for the lead, the world champion ultimately held on and remained in position until the chequered flag.

End of the season

There is one race left to close the F1 season and with the champion driver already defined, all that remains is to conclude the fight for the constructors’ championship, which McLaren leads 21 points behind Ferrari, so an exciting end to the year is expected to take place on December 8 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

@alex-martinez