Here is our full text transcript from the Sprint race in Qatar, which was held at the Losail International Circuit:
Welcome back – and indeed welcome if you’re just joining us for the first time today – for the culmination of F1’s latest ‘Sprint Saturday’ here at the Qatar Grand Prix.
And what an historic and significant evening we look like having ahead of us under the lights at the Losail International Circuit.
The 19-lap Sprint race coming up represents Max Verstappen’s first chance to close out the 2023 Drivers’ Championship – and his third title in a row. The Red Bull driver requires just three points to be sure of being crowned champion tonight even before tomorrow’s full-length Grand Prix (and maybe not even that much if team-mate Sergio Perez doesn’t finish on the podium, but more of that in more detail shortly).
The key piece of information is this: sixth place or better will do it for Max to become a triple world champion this evening. Given his supreme form, and 100 per cent finishing record, this year that relatively meagre result should, of course, be a given in most circumstances. But, here’s at least one twist to the expected narrative on how Max might win the title tonight…
He would surely rather clinch the crown with yet another win but yet that’s not quite as guaranteed here so far after the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris beat him to the front row in the earlier Sprint Shootout. Oscar’s on ‘pole’, Lando is second and Max is third for lights out at 6.30pm. It should be a rather good watch – stay with us for all the build-up!
Remember, the Sunday at the Singapore GP is the only full-race or sprint that Red Bull have been beaten at this season – so McLaren’s front-row lockout for this is rather commendable.
If you’re just joining us, then there was a rather significant – and rare – announcement made by the FIA this morning regarding the tyres in use here this weekend and how they were handling the Losail circuit’s kerbs.
Pirelli found “a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords on many of the tyres that were checked” which completed around 20 laps in Friday practice.
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“It is the view of the FIA and Pirelli that a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue,” said the FIA.
“This issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs.”
What’s changed since and what could else could happen?
Well, the FIA has already changed track limits at two corners – Turns 12 and 13 – with the white line that defines the track brought in by 80cm from the start of the offending kerbs. A 10-minute familiarisation session was added to the schedule ahead of the Sprint Shootout for drivers to get used to those changes to the track.
The Sprint Race is a simple 100km race (or 19 laps tonight) with no mandatory pit stops. The top eight drivers score championship points (8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) and the result has no influence on tomorrow’s Grand Prix – the grid for that was decided in qualifying yesterday.
Good job by Mclaren, we have to admit it. Nowhere in Bahrain and now the second fastest car. That’s how progress can be made. Everyone saying finding the lap time under this budget cap isn’t possible. They gave the time for this year & getting the benefits now. Mclaren are a serious threat next season. Come on Fred, let’s also show these levels of progress next year! Forza C² ❤️❤️💪🏽💪🏽 💚🤍❤️ Forza Ferrari! 💚🤍❤️
The formation lap begins and everyone gets away cleanly. Interestingly, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are on the mediums whereas George Russell, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc behind are on the softs. Sergio Perez is on the mediums in eighth and Lewis Hamilton on softs from 12th..
Lap 1/19: The Qatar Sprint is GO! Oscar Piastri makes a great start and he leads into Turn One. George Russell leaps up to second…with Carlos Sainz third ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc. A great start from the Ferrari drivers as Norris and Verstappen have both gone backwards! Max is fifth and Lando is sixth! Safety car! Liam Lawson is off at Turn 2 and is stuck in the gravel.
The marshals have done a great job to swiftly get Liam Lawson’s car out of harms way and the Safety Car is coming in at the end of Lap 2 out of 19. It’s a good restart from Piastri as he moves once to the right on the main straight and back to the racing line.
Lap 3/19: George Russell leads the Sprint! He simply dives down the inside of Piastri at Turn 6. “Big move. Come on!” Those soft tyres really helped Russell there.
We have another Safety Car as Logan Sargeant is in the gravel. He’s dropped it by himself when running behind Williams team-mate Alex Albon and is out.
Lap 6/19: Remember, it doesn’t matter where Max Verstappen finishes in this Sprint for the title unless team-mate Sergio Perez finishes in the top 3. And the latter certainly isn’t anywhere near being on the cards – Perez’s grid position of 8th has turned into 11th inside these first six chaotic laps
The Safety Car is coming in at the end of this lap as George Russell begins to back the car up. Lap 7/19: Piastri is caught napping by Russell and Sainz attacks the McLaren driver down the main straight. Sainz tries to go around the outside but can’t quite pull the move off. Lap 9/19: Verstappen overtakes Leclerc into Turn 1 down the inside to take fourth place. Next up the road is Sainz and it looks like the soft tyre runners are beginning to lose pace. And Verstappen does overtake Sainz with ease and is now third. Piastri is 2.5 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Lap 11/19: It’s an easy overtake for Piastri as he cruises by Russell on the main straight to take the lead.
That’s it all over even before the chequered flag with Sergio Perez’s Red Bull beached in the gravel after a tangle back in the pack seemingly involving Ocon and Hulkenberg. Max Verstappen is definitely world champion whatever happens now in the rest of this Sprint as Perez had to finish in the top three to have any chance of delaying his team-mate’s coronation. We have a Safety Car.
Lap 13/19: We are still behind the Safety Car and Max Verstappen is told the team are “starting to see surface damage” on the tyres and he “needs to get to the end”. Verstappen is keen to overtake Russell on the restart though and chase down Piastri.
The Safety Car is coming in so hopefully we will have five green flag laps to the end to see if Oscar Piastri can win this frenetic Sprint. Russell is in second but on the softs and the main threat for Piastri will be Verstappen on the mediums. Lap 15/19: It’s not the best restart from Piastri but it’s enough to keep Russell behind. Verstappen is now on the back of Russell. Norris is struggling to switch the tyres on and Leclerc overtakes him to take fifth place.
Lap 16/19: That was inevitable as Russell is struggling on the softs and now Verstappen is on the chase. 2.5 seconds is the gap to Piastri. Game on with four laps to go. Lap 17/19: Norris is on the charge and overtakes Leclerc on the main straight, then gets by Sainz a few corners later on the run down to Turn 4. It could be another double top three for McLaren if Norris can get up to the back of Russell and overtake him.
Lap 18/19: The seven-time champion is really motoring now on his medium tyres. He passes Fernando Alonso down the pit straight and is now attacking Charles Leclerc for sixth.
Final lap: Norris swoops past Russell for third as the final lap begins and Hamilton overtakes Charles Leclerc for sixth. Piastri is set to win the Sprint. Chequered Flag: What a result for Oscar Piastri and McLaren! The Australian wins the Sprint for the first time ever in F1. Max Verstappen seals his third world title with second place here. Lando Norris is third in the second McLaren after that sensational finish. George Russell is fourth with Lewis Hamilton’s late charge taking him to fifth in the second Mercedes.
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