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Tag: F1
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Verstappen takes controlled Qatar Grand Prix win after Norris was penalised: F1
Lusail (Qatar), 1 Dec. 2024: Max Verstappen took a controlled Qatar Grand Prix after chief race rival Lando Norris dropped to last place and recovered to 10th following a penalty for failing to heed yellow flags. Second place for Charles Leclerc ahead of Oscar Piastri means that Ferrari clawed points back against McLaren to take the fight for the Constructors’ Championship to the final round in Abu Dhabi next week.
When the lights went out, Mercedes’ polesitter George Russell made a good start from pole, but Verstappen swiftly drew alongside and then outdragged the Mercedes driver into Turn 1. As the battling pair edged towards the outside of the corner, Norris, starting from third, tried to sneak through on the inside. The McLaren driver was briefly ahead as he and Verstappen went towards Turn 2 but the Red Bull driver resisted to held the lead.
However, at the rear of the field, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg lost control in Turn 1 and hit the Alpine of Esteban Ocon and the Williams of Franco Colaptino. The latter two ended up beached and the Safety Car was deployed.
Verstappen controlled the lap 4 restart perfectly to hold the lead ahead of Norris and Russell and Piastri, who made his way back past Leclerc after losing the position at the start. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was in sixth place ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
Verstappen then settled into his first stint, though the champion was never truly comfortable as Norris repeatedly nibbled away at a gap that hovered around 1.6 seconds for the first 20 laps.
Russell was the first of the front runners to make a pit stop, on lap 24, but a stuck right rear wheel mean that after spending seven seconds in his pit box, the Mercedes driver dropped down to 11th place.
Tyre changes for the other front runners should have followed, but before any other pit stops could take place there was drama. On lap 32 Alex Albon’s Williams shed a mirror on the pit straight and while there were yellow flags in place Verstappen noted that Norris had closed the gap. He asked his team to check whether the McLaren driver had reduced speed for the flags.
Two laps later, though, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas ran over the mirror, and debris was strewn across the track. Both Sainz and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton picked up punctures and the Safety car was deployed.
Verstappen pitted for Hard tyres and emerged in the lead behind the SC. His rivals also made their pit stops and Norris slotted back into second. Leclerc, however, managed to jump in front of Piastri, while Pérez also profited from the timing of the SC and he made his way to P5 ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Russell and Sainz.
The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 39 and Verstappen was almost caught out by Norris. The McLaren driver stuck with the leader and aided by a slipstream on the straight he attacked around the outside. Verstappen defended hard and he was able to hold the lead as they went through the opening corners. Behind them Leclerc fought off the hard-charging Piastri but Gasly was passed by Russell.
There was disaster for Pérez though. Just ahead of the SC leaving the track the Mexican seemed to lose power and then suddenly spun in the final corner. He was forced to retire from the race.
At the back of the field, Hülkenberg spun off and the SC was released yet again. This time Verstappen’s getaway was flawless and he his lead comfortably as Norris was forced to resist pressure from Leclerc.
Norris’ challenge then evaporated. The Briton was hit with a 10 second stop/go penalty for failing to slow for the yellow flags ahead of the first SC period and after pitting on lap 45 he dropped to last place. He would recover to 10th place at the flag.
At the front, Verstappen was comfortable and with no further incidents he was able to cruise home six seconds ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, who were separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Fourth place went to Russell, while Gasly took a well worked fifth place. Sainz crossed the line in sixth ahead of Alonso, Guanyu Zhou took Sauber’s first points of the season with eighth place and Kevin Magnussen finished in ninth place ahead of Norris.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 57 –
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 6.031
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 57 6.819
4 George Russell Mercedes 57 14.104
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 57 16.782
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 17.476
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 19.867
8 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 25.360
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 32.177
10 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 57 35.762
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 57 50.243
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 56.122
13 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
14 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
15 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 56 – 1 lap
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 39 – Retirement
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 38 – Retirement
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 8 – Retirement
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 0 – Retirement
Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 0 – Retirement -
Norris on pole for Sprint ahead of Russell and Piastri: F1 Qatar GP
Qatar, 29 Nov. 2024: McLaren’s Lando Norris will start the Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix from the front of the grid with the McLaren driver beating Mercedes’ George Russell to top spot by just 0.063s in a tight Sprint qualifying session at Lusail Circuit. Oscar Piastri took third in the other McLaren as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and fifth respectively.
At the start of the session, in SQ1, Norris topped the timesheet, posting a lap of 1:21.356 to beat Sainz by almost half a second, with Russell third ahead of Verstappen.
At the wrong end of the order, Sergio Pérez once again failed to match the pace of his Red Bull team-mate and he exited the session in P16, just over a hundredth of a second behind Williams’ Alexz Albon. Pérez Red Bull stablemate Yuki Tsunoda was another surprise faller and the RB driver, who complained of a “rushed” final run finished in P17, 0.04s behind the Mexican. Esteban Ocon was eliminated in 18th place ahead of Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and last place Williams driver Franco Colapinto.
Verstappen set the opening pace of S2 with a time of 1:22.188, but that was quickly eclipsed by Leclerc who went five hundredths of a second quicker to take P1 and by Norris who slotted into second place 0.015s ahead of the Dutchman. Piastri was going quicker than all three, however, and he claimed top sport with a lap of 1:22.050.
Norris’s second run was even quicker and the Briton moved to the top of the order with a lap of 1:21.231 that put him ahead of Russell who climbed to second thanks to a lap of 1:21.4988. Piastri went again but time lose when he went wide late in the lap saw him take third place just over three tenths off his team-mate. Hamilton took fourth ahead of Verstappen and Sainz, with Leclerc in P7 ahead Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and RB’s Liam Lawson.
However, there was no place in the top-10 shootout for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who exited in P11, just four hundredths of a second off Lawson’s time. Also eliminated at the end of SQ2 were Williams’ 12th-placed Alex Albon who went out ahead of Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.
Norris was in imperious form in the opening runs of SQ3. The McLaren driver set a blistering lap of 1:21.012 on his first attempt on Soft tyres, more than 0.015s clear of team-mate Piastri and almost three tenths ahead Russell.
Norris pushed more on his second run but the Briton clipped the gravel at Turn 2 and he backed out the attempt. That left the door slightly but while no one could go quicker, Russell close to within a tenths and Piastri ended the session just 0.159s off his team-mate.
Sainz will start the Sprint from fourth ahead of Leclerc, with Verstappen in sixth place. Hamilton was seventh fastest, half-a-second clear of Gasly. Hülkenberg was ninth ahead of Liam Lawson, who had a better lap deleted for a track limits violation.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:21.012 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:21.075 0.063 0.078
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:21.171 0.159 0.196
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:21.281 0.269 0.332
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:21.308 0.296 0.365
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:21.315 0.303 0.374
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:21.474 0.462 0.570
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:21.978 0.966 1.192
9 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:22.088 1.076 1.328
10 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:22.577 1.565 1.932
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:22.433 1.421 1.754
12 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:22.526 1.514 1.869
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:22.538 1.526 1.884
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:22.599 1.587 1.959
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:22.738 1.726 2.131
16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:22.718 1.706 2.106
17 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:22.722 1.710 2.111
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:22.906 1.894 2.338
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:22.948 1.936 2.390
20 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:23.423 2.411 2.976 -
Max Verstappen Clinches Fourth Consecutive F1 Title in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (US), 24 Nov. 2024: Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Formula One Drivers’ Championship with a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Dutchman now joins legends Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel with four titles, trailing only Juan Manuel Fangio (5), Lewis Hamilton (7), and Michael Schumacher (7).
Mercedes’ George Russell won the Las Vegas Grand Prix, having led the race from pole position, with teammate Lewis Hamilton coming home second. Ferrari’s Carlo Sainz Jr rounded out the podium, edging out teammate Charles Leclerc who finished in fourth.
Verstappen arrived in Nevada following a remarkable comeback win at the São Paulo Grand Prix, where he charged from 17th on the grid to victory. In Las Vegas, his task was clear: finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris to clinch the championship. Starting fifth, one position ahead of Norris, Verstappen expertly managed his race, crossing the finish line in fifth, while Norris placed sixth.
With this milestone, Verstappen becomes only the fifth driver in F1 history to win four consecutive titles—an achievement surpassed only by Schumacher’s unprecedented five.
Christian Horner, CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, praised Verstappen’s dominance:
“Max has been in a league of his own this year. With eight Grand Prix wins—more than double anyone else—his consistency, teamwork, and sheer determination have been extraordinary. He’s handled the pressure with the poise of a true champion.”
Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Pérez delivered a gritty performance, climbing from 16th on the grid to 10th, securing a vital championship point.
Meanwhile, in a strong showing for Visa Cash App RB, Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a ninth-place finish, securing vital points for the team, with Liam Lawson finishing 16th.
With two races remaining in the season, Verstappen has cemented his status as one of Formula One’s greatest drivers. The spotlight now shifts to the remaining battles on the grid, where teams and drivers fight for crucial points to close out the 2024 season.
Find out more about Max Verstappen’s winning mentality by listening to the world champion speak in the Mind Set Win podcast HERE.
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Max seals 4th F1 title; Russell wins at Las Vegas, Hami makes it 1-2 for Mercedes
Las Vegas (US) 24 Nov. 2024: Max Verstappen coolly sealed his fourth consecutive FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title with a measured drive to fifth at the end of a Las Vegas Grand Prix won in commanding style by George Russell. Lewis Hamilton made it a 1-2 for Mercedes, while the final podium place went to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Red Bull driver Verstappen only needed to finish ahead of sole remaining title rival Lando Norris to take the crown and after fending off a challenge from the McLaren driver at the start of the race, the Dutchman stretched away to rise as high as second in the race. And with Norris lodged in sixth for the bulk of the race Verstappen was comfortable enough to drop behind Hamilton, Sainz and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
“What a season. Four times. Thank you, guys,” Verstappen said on the radio after crossing the line. “Thank you to everyone. I mean, it was a little bit more difficult than last year, but we pulled through and we gave it all.”
At the start, polesitter Russell got away well to take the lead but it was Leclerc who best reacted to the lights and as the field went through Turn 1 the Ferrari driver slipped past third-place starter Pierre Gasly and Sainz to take P2.
Behind the top four, Verstappen and Norris got away well from fifth and sixth, but going into Turn 1, Norris drew alongside on the inside. Verstappen held a wide line, however, and emerged from Turn 2 ahead.
On lap four Verstappen closed right up to Gasly and on the way into Turn 14 the Dutchman muscled his way past the Frenchman to take fourth place. Further ahead, Leclerc, who had been pushing hard to get past Russell, began to struggle for grip and after being passed by team-mate Sainz, the Monegasque fell back towards Verstappen who wasted no time in dispatching the Ferrari driver on lap 8 to claim a podium position. Behind him Norris made his way past Gasly to take fifth place but the gap to Verstappen was growing.
On lap 10 both Leclerc and Norris were called to the pits for fresh tyres and both took on Hard tyres. On the following lap Sainz was also called in but Verstappen was already past and into second place.
The Red Bull driver then made his own pit stop on lap 12 and after bolting on a set of Hard tyres I just two seconds he rejoined in sixth place, in backmarking traffic, but crucially ahead of both Ferraris and ahead of Norris.
As the Medium-tyre starters began to flood into pit lane, Verstappen again rose to third place, behind Hard-tyre starting team-mate Sergio Pérez. At the front, Russell was now stretching away and in such control that he was comfortably able to put and emerge in the lead.
Verstappen was soon past Pérez who then began to drop back before his own stop. Verstappen then made his second stop on lap 28, taking on another set of Hard tyres. Behind him, Sainz went to pit ahead of Hamilton, but at the last second Ferrari told him to stay out. The Spaniard was already across the white line of the pit entry and he had to swerve right to stay on track.
The second round of stops then began to play out and when the order shook out once again Russell still led, 11 seconds clear of hard-charging team-mate Lewis Hamilton with Max in third ahead of Sainz, Leclerc and Norris.
At the front, Hamilton, showing dazzling pace, began to reel in Verstappen and after easily passing the Dutchman, who offered little resistance, the seven-time champion set off in pursuit of Russell.
The younger Mercedes driver was now in management mode, however, and though Hamilton closed the gap to five seconds at one point, Russell was always in control and after 50 laps crossed the line with seven seconds in hand over Hamilton to seal his third career win.
Behind the Mercedes pair, Verstappen was also playing a sensible game. With a dozen seconds in hand over sixth-placed Norris, the Dutchman didn’t resist when Sainz and Leclerc closed in. On lap 42 he allowed Sainz to ease through and five laps later, Leclerc made his way past to drop the champion elect to fifth place.
He crossed the line more than 24 seconds clear of Norris, who had made a late stop for fresh tyres and to seal the point for fastest lap, and claimed his fourth title.
“It’s been a long season,” Max reflected afterwards. “Of course, we started off amazing. It was almost like cruising, but then we had a tough run. But as a team, we kept it together. We kept working on improvements. And yeah, we pulled over the line. I’m incredibly proud of everyone, what they have done for me. And to stand here as a four-time world champion is of course something that I never thought was possible. So yeah, at the moment, just feeling relieved in a way, but also very proud”.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix – Race
1 George Russell Mercedes 50 1:22’05.969
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 50 1:22’13.282 7.313
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 50 1:22’17.875 11.906
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 50 1:22’20.252 14.283
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:22’22.551 16.582
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:22’49.354 43.385
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:22’57.334 51.365
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 50 1:23’05.777 59.808
9 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’08.777 1’02.808
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’09.083 1’03.114
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:23’15.164 1’09.195
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 50 1:23’15.772 1’09.803
13 Zhou Guan Yu Sauber/Ferrari 50 1:23’20.054 1’14.085
14 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 50 1:23’21.141 1’15.172
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:23’30.071 1’24.102
16 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’36.974 1’31.00
17 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 49 1:22’08.029 1 lap /2.060
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 49 1:22’17.254 1 lap /11.285
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 25 42’12.021 Power Unit
Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 15 25’36.973 Power Unit -
Starting from P17, Verstappen takes stunning win; enhances title chances
Sao Paulo, 3 Nov 2024: Max Verstappen took a stunning win at the São Paulo Grand Prix, climbing from 17th place on the grid to take his eighth victory of the season almost 20 seconds clear of the chasing pack. Behind the three-time champion, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took a surprise double podium for Alpine.
On the formation lap ahead of the start, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed and Race Control indicated an aborted start. That should have signalled the drivers to remains on the grid after the formation lap to await further instructions. Norris, however, pulled away and a number of other drivers followed the pole sitter. Another formation lap was the result and Norris and several others were informed that the incident would be investigated agfter the race.
When the light eventually went out, front row starter Russell reacted best and he stole the lead on the run to Turn 1 ahead of Norris. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda held his starting third place ahead of Ocon, while Ferrrari’s Charles Lecler moved ahead of RB’s Liam Lawson to take fifth.
Further back, Verstappen made a brilliant start from P17, and as the field exited the Senna S, the Dutchman charged around the outside to climb to P11 behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. And at the start of lap 2 the Dutchman dived down the inside of the Mercedes to climb into a points-paying position.
Verstappen wasn’t done, though, and after picking off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at the start of lap 3, he muscled his way past Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso on the following lap. He then chased down Oscar Piastri and Lawson and by the end of lap 11 he was a remarkable sixth.
At the front, on lap 20, Russell still led, just under a second ahead of Norris. Eight seconds behind the top two, Tsunoda headed a DRS train consisting of Ocon, Leclerc and Verstappen.
On lap the shape of the race changed. In worsening rain, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg went wide in Turn 1 and stopped at the edge of the track. The VSC was deployed, sparking a flurry of pit stops.
With the aid of marshals, Hülkenberg was able to rejopin – a move that ultimately led to him being black-flagged – and just as the VSC ended, the top three of Russell, Norris and Tsunoda dived into the pits for more Inters. That promoted Ocon into the lead, with Verstappen in P2 ahead of Gasly.
With the VSC spell complete, Norris eased past Russell to claim fourth place but with the conditions worsening badly, the Safety Car was eventually deployed. And when Williams’ Franco Colapinto lost control in Turn 12 and hit the barriers, the red flags came out and the race was halted.
At the restart, Ocon held his lead over Verstappen and Gasly, but behind them Norris went wide and Russell was able to sneak through to P4. On lap 40, though, Sainz, who had been trying to catch Pérez, crashed at Turn 8 and the Safety Car took to the track for the second time.
The restart took place at the end of lap 42 and this time Verstappen judged it perfectly. He stuck with Ocon and when the Frenchman tried to pull away, Verstappen stayed close enough to dive down the inside into Turn 1 and steal the lead.
Behind them Gasly managed to hold onto third but Russell, Leclerc and Norris were all jockeying for position. Desperate to avoid a collision, Norris locked up behind Russell and dropped back to P7 behind team-mate Piastri. The Australian, facing a time penalty for a collision, would later wave the Briton through to P6.
At the front, Verstappen began to stretch away from the pack and with 20 laps remaining the Dutchman had pulled out a five-second gap to Ocon, with Gasly three seconds further back in third.
In the closing stages, Verstappen took complete control and after posting a staggering 17 fastest laps that earned him a bonus point the Dutchman crossed the line to take his eighth win of the season and his first the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
Behind the champion Ocon and Gasly completed a shock double podium for Alpine, while Russell took fourth ahead of Leclerc. Norris, facing an investigation for breaching starting regulations when the original start was aborted, finished sixth ahead of Tsunoda and Piastri while Liam Lawson made it a double points finish ahead of Hamilton.
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:06’54.430
2 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’13.907 19.477
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’16.962 22.532
4 George Russell Mercedes 69 2:07’17.695 23.265
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 69 2:07’24.607 30.177
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’25.802 31.372
7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’36.486 42.056
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’39.373 44.943
9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’44.882 50.452
10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 69 2:07’45.183 50.753
11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’45.961 51.531
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 69 2:07’51.515 57.085
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:07’58.018 1’03.588
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 69 2:08’12.479 1’18.049
15 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:08’14.079 1’19.649
Carlos Sainz Ferrari 38 – 31 laps
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 30 – Retirement
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 0 – Not started
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 0 – Not started
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 30 – DSQ -
Lando Norris claims pole in dramatic wet qualifying at Sao Paulo GP: F1
Inter Lagos, 2 Nov 2024: Lando Norris claimed a potentially crucial pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix at the end of a chaotic, rain-hit qualifying at Interlagos that was red-flagged five times and which left the McLaren driver’s title rival Max Verstappen in P12 and facing a P17 start after he takes a grid penalty for PU changes.
In soaking wet conditions a long queue formed at the end of the pit lane ahead of the session and when the green lights came on it was Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who set the early pace with a lap of 1:29.916. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez slotted into P2 a tenth further back but RB’s Yuki Tsunoda then bypassed both with a lap of 1:29.172.
The first red flag of the session then came out. Franco Colapinto lost control of his Williams in the middle of Turn 3 and spun off into the barriers. The Argentinian was unhurt but the session was suspended.
After an eight-minute delay, the action got underway again, and with a couple of minutes left, Verstappen moved out of potential danger by claiming P5. His lap was deleted, however, as double waved yellow flags were being shown for an off for Nico Hülkenberg and the champion plummeted down to P12. However, in the final seconds he posted a lap 1:28.522 to jump to the top of the order ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Further back there was no place in Q2 for Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver dropped out in P16 ahead the Haas of Ollie Bearman, the unfortunate Colapinto, the second Haas of Hülkenberg and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu.
Verstappen was to the fore again at the start of Q2. After Pérez got the ball rolling with a lap of 1:28.158, Verstappen powered past that, clearing his team-mate by 0.387s to set a time of 1:27.771.
However, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri had made the switch to Intermediate tyres and the Australian jumped to P1 six tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen, before improving again by almost a second to set the pace at 1:25.179.
That sparked a mass move to Intermediates but while Russell and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll were able to exploit the green-banded tyres to climb to second and third respectively, there was no chance for anyone else to improve before the session was red-flagged for a second time. Carlos Sainz spun in Turn 2 and the Ferrari driver went backwards into the barriers, causing heavy damage to the back of the car.
After another eight-minute halt, the session was restarted and once again, on a drying track, the lottery kicked into gear.
Norris was first out on track and the Briton jumped to top spot with a lap of 1:24.844. However, further back on track, Stroll crashed in Turn 3. The red flags came out again and the stoppage denied both Red Bull drivers the chance to improve. With just 45 seconds left on the clock, there would be no resumption and Verstappen exited in P12, immediately ahead of team-mate Pérez. Also eliminated at the end of the middle segment were Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in P11, Sainz in 14th place and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in P15.
At the start of Q3, it was Norris who made the most of the conditions and the McLaren driver took top spot with a lap of 1:24.158, half a second clear of Albon, with Piastri in third place.
However, almost immediately after Norris crossed the line the red flags were flown for a fourth time. Fernando Alonso lost control in Turn 11 and he went off into the barriers at high speed.
After a 12-minute delay to repair the barriers, and with seven minutes left, the session resumed. But once again the action was brief. With three minutes remaining Albon’s Williams stepped out under braking into Turn 1 and he slammed hard into the barriers, doing severe damage to the rear and front left of his car. The red flags appeared for the fifth time.
And when the session resumed for the final time there was no stopping Norris. The Briton improved again to take pole with a time of 1:23.406 ahead of Russell with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda in third place. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was fourth ahead of the second RB of Liam Lawson. Leclerc qualified sixth ahead of Alnon and Piastri with the Astons of Alonso and Stroll in ninth and tenth.
Lando Norris Quote:
“A positive job as a team today. The car has great pace this weekend and I felt good out there. I think we were strong but it’s difficult to judge in a Sprint when everyone is looking at how much to manage and how much to push. Oscar deserved it today, but we’ve done what we had to do with our pursuit of the two Championships. We executed it very well and I’m thankful for his support. It’s a disappointing afternoon for the fans with Qualifying not going ahead but I’m looking forward to a strong performance tomorrow.”
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:23.405 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:23.578 0.173
3 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:24.111 0.706
4 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:24.475 1.070
5 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:24.484 1.079
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:24.525 1.120
7 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:24.657 1.252
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:24.686 1.281
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:28.998 5.593
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes – – –
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:26.472 3.067
12 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:27.771 4.366
13 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:28.158 4.753
14 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:29.406 6.001
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:29.614 6.209
16 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.150 7.745
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:31.229 7.824
18 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:31.270 7.865
19 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:31.623 8.218
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.263 8.858 -
Lando Norris handed Sprint win by Oscar Piastri; Verstappen third
Sau Paulo, 2 Nov. 2024: Lando Norris took his first F1 Sprint win after being waved through by McLaren team-mate and long-time leader Oscar Piastri in the closing stages of the 24-lap race at the Autódromo Carlos Pace. Red Bull’s Championship leader Max Verstappen crossed the line in third but was handed a five-second time after the race for a VSC infringment dropping him to fourth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the final classification.
At the race start, both McLarens got away well and polesitter Piastri moved across the track successful defend the inside line against front-row starter Norris who held second. Leclerc also defended well into the Senna S to keep Verstappen at bay.
Across the opening laps Verstappen pressed hard to provoke a mistake from Leclerc and initially that allowed the McLarens to open a gap. But Norris, in his team-mate’s dirty air, then fell back from Piastri who was subsequently asked to drop back and provide DRS to his team-mate.
As the race reached half distance, Verstappen began to get some reward for his efforts, as Leclerc began to struggle more on his Medium tyres. And on lap 18 the Ferrari driver made a small mistake in the Senna S. Verstappen closed in through Turn 3 and with DRS engaged muscles his way around the outside through Turn 4 to claim third place,
The Dutchman then began to eat into the gap to Norris, narrowing McLaren’s chances of pulling off a positional swap between Piastri and Norris.
However, both McLarens were able to build a healthier two-second gap to the Red Bull and when Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg stopped at the edge of the track at Turn 8 and the threat of a Safety Car appeared, the McLaren pitwall pulled the trigger.
Piastri moved across on the run to Turn 4 and Norris slipped past to take the lead. The time lost meant that Piastri was now under threat from Verstappen but just before the start of the penultimate lap, race officials imposed a VSC to deal with Hülkenberg’s stranded car and the gaps froze.
The VSC ended midway through the final lap and Verstappen closed right up to Piastri in Turn 4 just as the caution was coming to an end. The Dutch driver’s proximity to the Australian was noted and then was investigated after the Sprint.
The Stewards handed Verstappen a five-second penalty, saying that “Article 56.5 states in part ‘All cars must also be above this minimum time when the FIA light panels change to green.’ The driver was 0.63 seconds below the minimum time at VSC End when the FIA light panels changed to green. This indicates a sporting advantage gained under VSC.’
Verstappen crossed the line third but the time penalty dropped him to fourth behind Leclerc and ahead of the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, with Mercedes’ George Russell in sixth,. Pierre Gasly held on to seventh place for Alpine, just ahead of the hard-charging Sergio Pérez who battled through from P13 to take the final point on offer.
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Sprint
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 24 –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 24 0.593
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 24 1.497
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 24 5.656
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 24 7.224
6 George Russell Mercedes 24 12.475
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 24 18.161
8 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 24 18.717
9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 24 20.773
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 24 24.606
11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 24 29.764
12 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 24 33.233
13 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 24 34.128
14 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 24 35.507
15 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 24 41.374
16 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 24 43.231
17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 24 54.139
18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 24 56.537
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 24 57.983
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 19 – Retirement -
Lando Norris takes pole at Austin GP: Formula 1
Austin, 19 October 2024: McLaren’s Lando Norris took his sixth pole of 2024 in a US Grand Prix qualifying session that was disrupted by a late crash for Mercedes’ George Russell that prevented many drivers, including second-placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, from finding an improvement on their final runs of Q3. Carlos Sainz took third place for Ferrari.
In the first runs of the final top-10 shootout Norris set the pace with a standout lap of 1:32.330 that he later branded “the best of my career”. Verstappen, meanwhile, had overcooked his entry to Turn 19 and as the final runs approached lay in second place 0.031s behind the McLaren driver.
Verstappen responded by going clear of Norris in the first part of his final flyer but the Dutchman’s hopes of a first pole since the Austrian Grand Prix were dashed when Russell lost control of his Mercedes in Turn 19 and crashed, bringing out yellow flags. Verstappen and a number of others were forced to back out of their final laps leaving Norris with pole thanks to this first run.
“It was probably the best lap of my career,” said Norris afterwards. “It was just a very nice lap. I kind of set the bar too high because on my second lap, I was like, ‘guys, I don’t think I’m going to improve much here’. I got everything out of the car.”
Verstappen, who gelt that he had “had a really good shot” was left with P2 ahead of Sainz, with Charles Leclerc in fourth in the other Ferrari. Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri will line up in fifth place, while the unfortunate Russell will start sixth. Pierre Gasly put in a strong performance in the upgraded Alpine A524 to take seventh place ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, while Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, who had his opening run of Q3 deleted for a track limits infringement.
In Q2, Yuki Tsunoda was the first driver eliminated in P11, with the Japanese driver being joined at the exit by Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, the second Alpine of Esteban Ocon, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and in 15th place, RB’s Liam Lawson.
The major faller in the opening segment of qualifying was Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver lost a significant amount of time in the middle sector of his final flyer and as better times from rivals flowed in the seven-time champion dropped to P19 just ahead of Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu. The Williams pairing of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto were eliminated in P16 and P17 respectively ahead of Valtteri Bottas in the other Kick Sauber.
2024 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’32.330 – –
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’32.361 0.031 0.034
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1’32.652 0.322 0.349
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’32.740 0.410 0.444
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’32.950 0.620 0.672
6 George Russell Mercedes 1’32.974 0.644 0.697
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’33.018 0.688 0.745
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’33.309 0.979 1.060
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1’33.481 1.151 1.247
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT – – –
11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1’33.506 1.176 1.274
12 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1’33.544 1.214 1.315
13 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1’33.597 1.267 1.372
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’33.759 1.429 1.548
15 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT –
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’34.051 1.721 1.864
17 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1’34.062 1.732 1.876
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1’34.152 1.822 1.973
19 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1’34.154 1.824 1.976
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1’34.228 1.898 2.056 -
Oscar Piastri takes second career win as McLaren moves to top of team table
Baku City, 15 Sept. 2024: Oscar Piastri came out on top in a thrilling battle with Charles Leclerc to take his second career win and send McLaren soaring to the top of the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship standings. Meanwhile, a late-race collision with Carlos Sainz dumped Sergio Pérez out of a podium finish and handed third place to Mercedes’ George Russell in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a round of the Formula 1 World Championship here on Sunday.
When the start lights went out, pole sitter Leclerc got away well from Piastri but behind them Pérez drew level with Sainz before making his way past the Spaniard on the approach to Turn 2 to take second place. Behind them, Verstappen reacted well to the lights and he also profited in Turn 2, muscling past Mercedes’ George Russell to take fifth place.
Further back, after starting from P16, Norris was on a march and by lap four the McLaren driver was already on the cusp of the points in P11.
At the front, Leclerc was initially unable to break DRS and shake Piastri, but on lap 8 the Ferrari driver turned up the wick and over the following three laps the Ferrari driver carved out a three second gap to the Australian and to Pérez who was comfortably staying in touch with the battle for the lead.
On lap 11, Williams’ Franco Colapinto was the first of the top 10 to make a pit stop, followed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and on lap 13 Verstappen headed into the pits to shed Medium tyres that he said were offering no grip.
Pérez followed his team-mate to the pit lane at the end of the following lap and with Piastri still on track, the Red Bull driver pushed to make the undercut work. The Red Bull driver had emerged behind long -running Hard tyres starter Norris, however, and McLaren were swiftly on the radio to tell their driver to hold the Mexican up through the Old Town.
Pérez had to wait until he had DRS before he could power past Norris and the short delay was enough to allow Piastri to pit and rejoin just ahead of the Red Bull. Further up the track, Leclerc made his own stop for Hards, holding the lead as he returned to the circuit.
Piastri, more comfortable on the Hard tyres, closed in and at the start of lap 20, the Australian used DRS on the pit straight to power past the Ferrari into Turn 1 and steal the lead.
Behind the leaders, Verstappen also looked to be gaining ground on the Hard tyres, and he soon closed up to Sainz, The pair quickly came up on the slower Norris and Albon and though Sainz soon made his way past the McLaren, Verstappen found himself stuck behind a stubbornly defensive title rival. The Dutchman then began to wear his rears, saying his car was “bouncing around and losing contact”, and he was soon ambushed by Russell.
At the front, Leclerc was pushing to find a way past Piastri and on lap 33 he mounted his most serious attack since surrendering the lead. The Ferrari driver closed up under DRS on the pit straight forcing Piastri to defend the inside line. The McLaren driver held the lead but the battle allowed Pérez to close in and join the battle as the race edged towards two-thirds distance.
Norris finally made his sole stop on lap 38 and he rejoined 15 seconds behind Verstappen. The McLaren driver, with fresh Medium tyres on board, quickly began to post fastest race laps and he eventually powered past the struggling Dutchman with a handful of laps left.
At the front the final third of the race developed into a cat and mouse battle, with Leclerc probing and pushing to provoke a mistake from Piastri and with Pérez seeking to profit from any battle.
And when Leclerc suddenly began to slip and slide on worn tyres in the closing stages, Pérez tried to pounce. However, after almost getting past the Ferrari in Turn 1, he was forced to back out and Sainz drew alongside. The Ferrari appeared to get too close and as they powered towards Turn 2 there was contact. both spun into the wall.
The race was closed out under a Virtual Safety Car. Piastri stretched out to take his second career win ahead of Leclerc, while Russell inherited third place ahead of Norris and with Max in sixth place. Fernando Alonso took sixth for Aston Martin ahead of the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished ninth and the final point went to Haas’ Oliver Bearman.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Race
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 51 1:32’58.007
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 51 1:33’08.917 10.910
3 George Russell Mercedes 51 1:33’29.335 31.328
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 51 1:33’34.150 36.143
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 51 1:34’15.105 1’17.098
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 51 1:34’23.475 1’25.468
7 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 51 1:34’25.403 1’27.396
8 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 51 1:34’27.548 1’29.541
9 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 51 1:34’30.408 1’32.401
10 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 51 1:34’31.134 1’33.127
11 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 51 1:34’31.472 1’33.465
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 51 1:34’55.196 1’57.189
13 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 51 1:35’24.914 2’26.907
14 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 51 1:35’26.848 2’28.841
15 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 50 1:33’19.351 1 lap /21.344
16 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 50 1:33’23.402 1 lap /25.395
17 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 49 1:28’41.198 Accident
18 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 49 1:28’41.768 Accident
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 45 1:23’21.080 Brakes
Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 14 27’02.651 Accident damage -
Charles Leclerc takes Baku pole ahead of Piastri: F1
Baku City, 14 Sept. 2024: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc powered to a fourth consecutive pole position at the Baku City Circuit, three tenths of a second clear of Oscar Piastri, with Carlos Sainz taking third in qualifying for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in the second Ferrari. However, Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen only managed P6 and title Lando Norris exited in Q1 in an eventful session.
“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season. I really like it,” said Leclerc after taking his 26th career pole. “In qualifying, until Q3, it was all about trying to stay as far as possible off the walls. And then in that last lap, I went for it a bit more. And the lap time came very nicely. I mean, the car felt really good and everything felt great. So, yeah, it’s amazing to be on pole.”
At the start of Q1 it was Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez who set the early pace, with the Mexican taking top spot with a lap of 1:43.436, just over two tenths clear of Verstappen. Leclerc then split the Red Bulls. with Piastri slotting into fourth place ahead of McLaren team-mate Norris.
Pérez went straight into a second run and an improved time of 1:43.436 returned him to the top of the order ahead of Sainz whose own second run netted him a time of 1:42.517. And with a third flyer on the same set of tyres, Pérez then lowered the benchmark to 1:43.213.
However, with five minutes left Leclerc moved well clear, posting a 1:42.775 to eclipse the Red Bull driver by more than four tenths of a second before Russell also demoted the Mexican. Pérez opted to sit out the final runs and though he slipped to P10 he eased through to Q2.
At the top of the Q1 order Leclerc’s mid-session 1:42.775 allowed him to keep hold of P1 ahead of Albon and Piastri, but in a shock end to the session, there was no place in the second session for the Australian’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. The Beiton’s final flyer appeared to be hampered by yellow flags and he slid out of the session in P17.
Verstappen and Pérez were again out on track early at the start of the second session and this time it was the Dutch driver who set the pace with a lap of 1:42.042 that put him 0.221s ahead of his team-mate. Piastri slotted into third place, with Russell fourth. Leclerc then managed to split the Bulls, 0.014s off Max, while Sainz slotted into fourth 0.2s behind Pérez.
And the top three held firm through the final runs. Pérez again opted out of the final laps and when Leclerc backed out of his attempt, Verstappen also chose to ease off at the end of his final flyer and he went through to Q3 in top spot thanks to his first run time ahead of the Ferrari.
At the other end of the order, Haas’ Oliver Bearman dropped out in P11 ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, the second Haas of Nico Hülkenberg, Aston Martin’s Lace Stroll and the second RB of Daniel Ricciardo.
In the first runs of the top 10 shootout, Leclerc put Ferrari on provisional pole, with the Monegasque driver posting a lap of 1:41.610 to take top spot, two tenths of a second ahead of Sainz, with Piastri third ahead of Russell. Pérez slotted into P5 thanks to an opening lap of 1:42.045 with Verstappen two tenths further back in sixth.
At the start of the final runs, there was a strange incident when Williams’ Alex Albon left the Williams garage with the airbox fan still in place. The Thai driver was forced to pull over at the pit exit where he manually dragged the fan out and threw it overboard. The delay would lead to an investigation for unsafe release and prevented him from crossing the line to start a final flyer.
Ahead of him, there was no stopping Leclerc. The Ferrari driver proved unbeatable in the final flyers, claiming a fourth straight Baku pole with a lap of 1:41.365, three tenths ahead of Piastri and almost half a second ahead of third-place Sainz.
Pérez, back on form on a circuit at which he has won twice in the past, put in a strong final flyer to claim fourth spot on the grid ahead of Russell, but Verstappen, could only manage sixth on the grid, alongside Hamilton and ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, the impressive Franco Colapinto of Williams and the unfortunate Albon.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:41.365 – –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:41.686 0.321 0.317
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:41.805 0.440 0.434
4 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:41.813 0.448 0.442
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:41.874 0.509 0.502
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:42.023 0.658 0.649
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:42.289 0.924 0.912
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:42.369 1.004 0.990
9 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:42.530 1.165 1.149
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:42.859 1.494 1.474
11 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:42.968 1.603 1.581
12 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:43.035 1.670 1.648
13 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:43.179 1.814 1.790
14 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:43.191 1.826 1.801
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:43.404 2.039 2.012
16 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 1:43.547 2.182 2.153
17 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:43.609 2.244 2.214
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:43.618 2.253 2.223
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:44.246 2.881 2.842
20 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:44.504 3.139 3.097
