Results & Report 2023 Qatar Formula 1 Sprint
Event: Qatar F1 Grand Prix
Track: Lusail International Circuit
2023 F1 World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen and Raymond Vermeulen after the Sprint ahead of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
Weather: dry 28.0°C
Tarmac: dry 38.4°C
Humidity: 52.7%
Wind: 0.1 m/s SE
Pressure: 1010.3 hPa
2023 Qatar F1 Grand Prix Sprint Race Report
Oscar Piastri claimed his first Formula 1 victory with an impressive win in the 19-lap Qatar Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit, while Max Verstappen finished second to secure his third consecutive Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship.
Lando Norris completed the top three for McLaren after an action-packed Sprint featuring contrasting tyre strategies, three Safety Car periods and several dramatic incidents.
Piastri Starts from Pole
Piastri started from pole position after beating McLaren teammate Norris and Verstappen in the Sprint Shootout. Norris lined up second, with Verstappen third and George Russell fourth.
The leading trio started on medium tyres, while Russell, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were among the drivers gambling on the faster soft compound.
Soft Tyres Transform the Start
Piastri retained the lead into Turn 1, but the soft-shod cars immediately made their advantage count. Russell, Sainz and Leclerc surged forward, while Norris and Verstappen both lost positions during the opening exchanges.
Liam Lawson then spun his AlphaTauri into the gravel on the opening lap, triggering the first Safety Car period.
At the restart, Russell used the extra grip from his soft tyres to attack Piastri and took the lead at Turn 8. Moments later Logan Sargeant spun his Williams into the gravel, bringing out the Safety Car for a second time.
Piastri Retakes Control
The interruptions initially helped the drivers running soft tyres by reducing degradation, but as the Sprint progressed the balance began to shift back towards the medium runners.
Verstappen passed Leclerc and then Sainz as he worked his way back towards the front, while Piastri closed rapidly on Russell.
The Australian eventually reclaimed the lead with a DRS-assisted move into Turn 1 as Russell's soft tyres began to fade.
Pérez Crash Decides the Championship
The decisive championship moment arrived when Sergio Pérez, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg collided while running three-wide into Turn 2.
Ocon made contact with Hülkenberg before spinning into Pérez, leaving all three drivers with terminal damage and triggering the third Safety Car period.
Pérez's retirement mathematically ended his remaining championship hopes, confirming Verstappen as Formula 1 World Champion for the third consecutive season.
Verstappen Chases Piastri
When racing resumed at the end of Lap 14, Piastri led Russell and Verstappen. Russell's soft tyres were now badly degraded, allowing Verstappen to pass the Mercedes and move into second place.
Norris also charged through the field in the closing stages, passing both Ferraris before overtaking Russell to secure third place.
Verstappen closed on Piastri but was unable to challenge the McLaren driver before the chequered flag. Piastri crossed the line 1.871 seconds ahead of the newly crowned World Champion, with Norris completing the podium.
Piastri Takes His First F1 Victory
The victory was Piastri's first in Formula 1 and capped an outstanding Saturday for the rookie, who had earlier secured pole position for the Sprint.
Russell finished fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Sainz crossed the line sixth. Alex Albon was promoted to seventh and Fernando Alonso to eighth after Charles Leclerc received a five-second penalty for repeated track-limit infringements.
Verstappen's second-place finish earned him seven points and confirmed a third successive World Drivers' Championship following his titles in 2021 and 2022.
Tyre Concerns Continue at Lusail
The Sprint took place against the backdrop of concerns surrounding Pirelli's tyres. Inspections had identified separation between the tyre sidewall and carcass cords, linked to repeated contact with Lusail's aggressive 50 mm pyramid kerbs.
The FIA had already revised track limits at Turns 12 and 13 before the Sprint in an attempt to reduce repeated kerb contact. Following further analysis after Saturday's running, the FIA and Pirelli later imposed a maximum tyre life of 18 laps per set for Sunday's Grand Prix.
Classification 2023 Qatar Sprint
✅ Don't forget to check out our 2023 Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix Preview.
One F1 fan comment on “Results & Report 2023 Qatar Formula 1 Sprint”
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Great drives by Piastri and Norris to have both McLarens on the podium. Oscar's first F1 win. Lando is still waiting for first first win, but it must happen soon.
Another failure for Perez! It's true that he was an innocent bystander in the collision that took him, Ocon and Hulkenberg out, however, a driver with his experience should have realised that three cars into one corner doesn't go! Perez should have backed off, but he stayed on the outside and sandwiched Hulkenberg.