Checo Pérez’s race in Qatar was inconsistent, while Max Verstappen dominated completely

Once again, Max Verstappen emerged victorious, this time at the Qatar Grand Prix. Checo Pérez’s race was marred by inconsistency, but he managed to secure a points finish.

The big winners of the day were the McLaren team, who secured a double podium and are now in contention for the Constructors’ Championship, a title that Red Bull has already won.

Checo Pérez’s race was characterized by ups and downs, as he went off track twice and struggled to gain clear control of his car.

Despite the challenges, he managed to earn points, thanks in part to penalties imposed on other drivers.

Fortunately for the Mexican driver, Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire from the race after a collision with his teammate George Russell, who managed to recover and finish in fourth place.

Charles Leclerc had a relatively trouble-free race, securing fifth place.

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso finished in sixth place, with a 13-second gap to Esteban Ocon. However, the Spanish driver has a pending investigation by the race stewards.

Pérez’s race could have been better, but he served a 10-second penalty. Nevertheless, he still managed to finish in the points, in ninth place, due to penalties handed to Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly.

Valtteri Bottas finished ahead of Pérez, quietly accumulating points, while Guanyu Zhou secured a point by finishing among the top 10 drivers.

Verstappen secured his 49th career victory, with McLaren drivers joining him on the podium.

This is how Checo Pérez’s race unfolded in Qatar:

Checo Pérez’s race in Qatar was an uphill battle, marked by incidents that occurred even before the race started.

Following Pérez’s accident during the sprint race, his car sustained significant damage, necessitating changes that were deemed equivalent to a new car.

Consequently, he received a penalty and had to start from the pit lane.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was unable to participate in the race due to a fuel leak in the Ferrari SF-23, resulting in a stroke of bad luck for both drivers.

Max Verstappen, the reigning champion of the 2023 season, set the pace of the race with Piastri as his closest competitor.

However, a collision between the Mercedes drivers, which led to Lewis Hamilton retiring from the race and George Russell falling out of contention, reshuffled the order.

Fernando Alonso moved up to third place, taking advantage of the changes, with a Safety Car period occurring at that moment.

As the race approached the tire changes, with a maximum of 18 laps, another test of the FIA’s regulations, George Russell stood out as he managed to reposition himself in the tenth position after initially falling behind.

Checo Pérez’s race slowly looked for new opportunities, aiming to secure some points by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso remained in podium positions, and he was currently looking to rejoin the battle for the runner-up spot, aided by Hamilton’s accident, which meant he would not score any points.

However, things did not improve for Checo Pérez’s race in Qatar, as he went off track and received a penalty due to a new rule on this circuit, resulting in a five-second time penalty for the Mexican driver. Fernando Alonso also went off the track, dropping out of podium contention.

To make matters worse, Checo Pérez went off track once again and received another penalty. He struggled to control his car, facing the same issues he had experienced since qualifying.

McLaren drivers engaged in a battle, but the team ordered Lando Norris to hold his position and not challenge Piastri.

George Russell delivered an incredible race performance, allowing him to recover and secure a fourth-place finish.

Finally, at the end of the race, penalties for Gasly and Ocon enabled Checo Pérez to enter the points-scoring zone.

Also read: The Qatar GP qualifying: Verstappen takes pole, and Checo in 13th place.