Marko Hanželic
Even before the start, the tension was raised by the management of the race, when after long interrogations, fines were awarded. Bottas in Verstappen, who did not slow down at the yellow flag at the very end of yesterday's qualifiers. The Finn fell three places, the Dutch five places. Pri Red Bullu otherwise, before the race, they also wondered how it could have happened that Sainz was not punished for exactly the same offense as Bottas.
Things got so complicated that they got so Ferrari as well as Mercedes wanted to put in the fifth starting position. After the intervention of the Commissioners, it finally became clear that Bottas starts from the sixth starting position as it is emptied Verstappn's place it was not supposed to count as a punishment, even though many thought it was the same, among them as well Bottas, who a few moments before that explained to the seventh force that he was starting as the fifth.
At the very start, Hamilton managed to keep the lead ahead Gasly in Alonso, and although it went much more closely than might be judged by the position on the scale. Verstappen on the other hand managed a very good start as he gained three places but barely avoided close contact with Alonso. He started poorly Valtteri Bottas, who fell outside the top ten.
Max Verstappen he was already behind the main competitor after six rounds Lewis Hamilton, as he managed to overtake without difficulty Gasly, which drove into the last bend (perhaps also intentionally) quite widely. Shortly afterwards, the Dutchman also became a second-place victim Alonso, and the second driver of the team also advanced to the forefront Red Bull, Sergio Perez, who finished sixth after a fifth of the race.
Despite everything, the Dutchman failed to keep up with Hamilton, which soon escaped him by more than six seconds, and the relationship at the top was neither ruined nor stopped in the pits, as he British easily stayed ahead and further increased his advantage. Both continued on the hard compound tires.
In the pits, more or less all the racers, with one exception, lined up until the thirtieth lap Valtteria Bottas, who decided to keep going, but his race was over in the 33rd lap when the soul was let down by the front tire on his Mercedes. The Finn managed to save himself in the pits, but lost a lot of time and with that Red Bullu allowed it to reduce the lag or even lead in the construction sum.
Speaking of “red bulls,” so be it Verstappen feces Perez they turned into the pits a second time, with the former remaining on the latter and the latter falling to seventh. A round later is the case "Covered" also Hamilton and held the lead eight seconds before Verstappen. All replaced the hard tires with medium tires.
They are ten laps before the end Ocon announced on the radio that he should try to defend the city from Sergio Perez, also because Fernanda Alonso, who was promised a place on the podium. The Frenchman fought well, but in the end the Mexican came by anyway. We saw a tricolor in the background Latifia z Giovinazzi in Schumacher, eight laps before the end, however, was the final end of the race for Bottas, his successor at Mercedes, George Russell, managed to save himself in the pits with a flat tire at the right moment, but lost four places. A minute later, the aforementioned faced the same problem Latifs, which was parked at the service exit.
Three laps before the end we saw another overtaking Norris, who managed to get before Vettel, Alonso in third place, however, was worried about whether the tires on his race car would last until the end. Two laps before the end, we also saw a virtual safety car due to removal Latifi Williams, which are at Red Bullu take advantage of for another stop Max Verstappen, who had the opportunity to drive another fast lap.
Hamilton is by winning in Qatar lag behind Verstappen reduced by an additional six points so that the first two in Saudi Arabia give with eight points difference. Fernando Alonso he stepped on the podium for the first time in eight years, after taking the race with a single stop in the pits. They got to the points again Perez, Ocon, Stroll, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris in Hag.
Grand Prix of Qatar, race - results:
