October 9th 2023.
Oscar Piastri was the real standout at the Qatar Grand Prix. While Max Verstappen's performance was commendable, it was Piastri who was the star of the show. The 22-year-old Australian won the Sprint Race from pole position and then charged from sixth on the grid to second place in the GP. His success marks one of the most impressive debut seasons in F1, rivaling that of Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
McLaren's pairing of Piastri and Lando Norris has been a revelation. Norris leads him on points, but the two are incredibly close on pace. This has been instrumental in the team's success this season, as McLaren have risen from sixth in the constructors' standings with only 17 points to second on 219 points. Zak Brown's talent-spotting skills cannot be understated, as the CEO supported Lando as early as 2017 and poached Piastri from Alpine's junior programme.
Lewis Hamilton's incident with Mercedes team-mate George Russell at the start of the race hinted at the Brit's desperation to get one over Verstappen and win his first race in nearly two years. Both drivers continued in the race, with Russell finishing fourth, and Hamilton taking responsibility for the collision.
The driver pairing between Verstappen and Sergio Perez has been far from ideal. The Mexican's weekend was plagued with deleted qualifying times, in-race penalties, and crashes, leaving him in tenth place. Christian Horner's criticism of Perez suggests that his contract is likely to be cancelled soon, and Red Bull are now on the lookout for a new pairing.
The Qatar Grand Prix was an extremely demanding race, with temperatures reaching 36C and a three-stop tyre strategy. The physicality of the track and the intense conditions took their toll on the drivers, with several of them struggling to finish the race. Such was the toll on the drivers that two of them vomited in their helmets and others reported passing out in the car. It was a weekend that tested the limits of the drivers' endurance.
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