October 6th 2023.
Lewis Hamilton will start the Qatar Grand Prix from third on the grid, and the seven-time world champion feels for his fellow Brit, Lando Norris, after he was demoted from second to tenth on the grid.
Max Verstappen unsurprisingly took pole position in Friday's heated qualifying session, with the Red Bull star expected to win his third consecutive drivers' title in the Saturday Sprint race.
The McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri initially finished second and fourth fastest, with Mercedes drivers George Russell and Hamilton third and fifth. However, due to the high winds and desert sand at the Losail International Circuit, track limits became a problem for the stewards. Both Papaya cars were found to have exceeded the limits, and their quickest laps were deleted, moving Piastri to sixth and Norris to tenth.
This demotion meant that Hamilton and Russell were moved up to second and third on the grid. Hamilton was further boosted as he looks to hunt down Sergio Perez in the championship.
The 38-year-old spoke out about the divisive track limits rules, expressing his empathy for Norris. He said, "I think the new kerbs [brought in to deter drivers for exceeding track limits] are great. When I went round the track on my scooter yesterday, I thought they looked quite big, but I think they're really good. When you go beyond the highest point of the kerb you lose time. But I don't think at this track we need to have track limits. Lando should be up here. I think we could take these kerbs to another track, Austria for example. You should be able to utilise them as much as possible but when you go beyond them you lose time. It shouldn't be the white line necessarily."
Meanwhile, Norris was frustrated with himself, telling Sky Sports that he "had a correction of oversteer and went off. The team did a good job, I just messed it up."
Hamilton also mentioned that he wasn't content with his car, saying, "Not massively satisfied. It's just great for the team to be on the first two rows. Difficult at the beginning of the session, tricky conditions out there with the wind. Ultimately, a pretty average session for me. I'm going to give it everything and try and bag those points. It's great we are ahead of the Ferraris which is key."
With the odds set at 1/6 for Max Verstappen, 12/1 for George Russell, 14/1 for Lewis Hamilton, 20/1 for Fernando Alonso, 25/1 for Lando Norris, 33/1 for Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, and 50/1 for Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, the Qatar Grand Prix is sure to be an exciting race.
Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the drivers will be giving it their all in this race, hoping to secure those all-important points. The outcome of this race could be the deciding factor in who takes the Drivers' Championship.
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