Qatar was an exhilarating affair this 12 months, regardless of the drivers’ title already spoken for, pyramid kerbs modified, and ambient temperature down – with multi-car crashes, two punctures, three security automotive intervals, and penalties galore.
Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen, who secured his fourth crown with fifth place in Las Vegas, stayed away from the punishments on race day to notch his second-straight win at Lusail, his ninth for 2024, and 63rd general.
However, his rival, Lando Norris wasn’t so fortunate in Qatar, regardless of a heated battle up entrance with the Dutchman for greater than half the race.
The McLaren driver’s probabilities have been ruined after he did not see double waved yellow flags on the primary pit straight and was handed a brutal 10-second cease and go penalty (and three penalty factors) that meant tenth place on the chequered flag and a bonus level for the quickest lap was all he may muster.
And it was a possible infraction flagged by the main Dutchman, Norris’ good friend, including salt into the wound he’d already precipitated earlier within the weekend when he talked about he may have gained the title ahead of Las Vegas if he was driving the Brit’s McLaren MCL38.
“I requested the staff ‘did he elevate or not?'” Verstappen requested, post-race. “I believe it is truthful to ask that, once you elevate your self. Then that is the penalty you get. They’re fairly harsh on yellow flags. I do know that myself, in fact, from penalties previously, which is what it’s.”
Carlos Sainz and George Russell good friend a sponsor in Qatar
Off-track, issues obtained bizarre – with tennis legend Novak Djokovic named as F1 main sponsor Qatar Airways’ World Model Ambassador and Wellness Advisor. However, as a substitute of getting onto the court docket with some drivers, the Serbian star was whisked off to in style Doha hairdressers, HD Cutz, the place he was put within the chair to speak about F1 whereas he had a trim.
“That is Method One of many hair reducing,” the Joker mentioned. “Yeah, I can’t see precisely what he is doing, however I’ve full belief in him.”
Djokovic isn’t any stranger to F1, or its drivers, having met Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at April’s Monte Carlo Masters event – and others like Mercedes George Russell extra frequently at his native health club.
“I am actually an enormous fan of Method One,” he mentioned. “I’ve been at all times [a fan] because the very younger age. Michael Schumacher was my idol in Method One. I beloved watching him. And ever since then, I have been following everybody who has been making this sport nice globally.”
And the Joker, who has netted 24 males’s singles Grand Slam titles, is eager to up his sport with one other Monaco-based champion – Lewis Hamilton.
“A couple of days in the past, I met him for the primary time ever, and we have been speaking about various things,” Djokovic mentioned. “And we supplied him to have somewhat tennis session if he fancies it. And he mentioned we should always do it as a result of he must work on his tennis sport. He isn’t joyful together with his tennis sport. So I believe I may help him with that somewhat bit.”
Lewis Hamilton woe at F1 Qatar Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton had a torrid time in Qatar, with the seven-time F1 World Champion stating “I am positively not quick anymore” after qualifying seventh for the Dash on Saturday, then getting two penalties in Sunday’s race – first, a 5-second time penalty, for a false begin, then a drive-through penalty for going 12.5km/h quicker than mandated 80km/h restrict within the pit lane. Ultimately, the Brit completed twelfth.
However, Hamilton went into the weekend with a smile – on the again of his astronaut flight coaching with the Polaris program within the USA.
The initiative, arrange by Mercedes sponsor IWC Shaffhausen, noticed the Brit prepped and suited-up for a one-hour stint flying within the L-39 Albatros jet.
Hamilton pulled a most of seven.5G, greater than astronauts expertise on ascent, as a part of a sequence of typical manoeuvres – together with accelerations and decelerations to expertise lateral g-forces.
“You simply really feel such as you’re simply floating via the clouds,” he mentioned. “It’s fairly distinctive, and we got here down, and swooped via previous the runway, which was type of loopy, it was so near the runway, after which pull again on the stick and took off and went up – that was depraved!”
Hamilton was given an intensive briefing and inspection of the jet earlier than taking to the air, however the teacher was left instantly impressed by the F1 icon’s abilities within the cockpit.
“We have been proper into aerobatics, we have been doing acceleration and deceleration checks,” mentioned John “Slick” Baum, the Polaris Program’s Philanthropy Director and Teacher Pilot.
“After which, in fact, we needed to drag some Gs, so we began at 4, then 5, then six, and he made it to seven and a half Gs in the present day. Simply an unimaginable pilot behind the stick and the throttle in the present day and I used to be simply actually impressed together with his flying skill.”
