2021 Qatar Grand Prix

The 2021 Qatar Grand Prix (officially the Formula 1 Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix 2021) was the 20th race of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship, held at the Losail International Circuit between November 19 and November 21 2021. It was the inaugural F1 race held in Qatar.
__TOC__
==Background==
The Losail International Circuit, originally host as the Qatar Grand Prix for MotoGP since 2004, was announced to be replacing the TBC slot due to the canceled 2021 Australian Grand Prix on September 30 2021, marking it the first time Qatar hosted Formula One. A 10-year deal to host the race beginning 2023 was also signed.
===Entry List===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	McLaren F1 Team 	 	MCL35M 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
4 	Lando Norris 	McLaren F1 Team 	 	MCL35M 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
5 	Sebastian Vettel 	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team 	 	AMR21 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
6 	Nicholas Latifi 	Williams Racing 	 	FW43B 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN 	 	C41 	 	065/6 1.6L V6t 	
9 	Nikita Mazepin 	Uralkali Haas F1 Team 	 	VF-21 	 	065/6 1.6L V6t 	
10 	Pierre Gasly 	Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 	 	AT02 	 	RA621H 1.6L V6t 	
11 	Sergio Pérez 	Red Bull Racing Honda 	 	RB16B 	 	RA621H 1.6L V6t 	
14 	Fernando Alonso 	Alpine F1 Team 	 	A521 	 	E-Tech 21 1.6L V6t 	
16 	Charles Leclerc 	Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 	 	SF21 	 	065/6 1.6L V6t 	
18 	Lance Stroll 	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team 	 	AMR21 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
22 	Yuki Tsunoda 	Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 	 	AT02 	 	RA621H 1.6L V6t 	
31 	Esteban Ocon 	Alpine F1 Team 	 	A521 	 	E-Tech 21 1.6L V6t 	
33 	Max Verstappen 	Red Bull Racing Honda 	 	RB16B 	 	RA621H 1.6L V6t 	
44 	Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team 	 	F1 W12 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
47 	Mick Schumacher 	Uralkali Haas F1 Team 	 	VF-21 	 	065/6 1.6L V6t 	
55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 	 	SF21 	 	065/6 1.6L V6t 	
63 	George Russell 	Williams Racing 	 	FW43B 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
77 	Valtteri Bottas 	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team 	 	F1 W12 	 	M12 1.6L V6t 	
99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN 	 	C41 	 	065/6 1.6L V6t 	
Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.	Source:%20-%20Entry%20List.pdf - Entry List (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
==Practice Overview==
===FP1===
Max Verstappen set the fastest time, followed by Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas.
===FP2===
Valtteri Bottas was quickest, followed by Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen. Nikita Mazepin had to sit out due to a severely damage chassis.
===FP3===
===Practice Results===
The full practice results for the are outlined below:
No 	Driver 	Team 	FP1 	FP1 	FP2 	FP2 	FP3 	FP3 	 	 	 	 	
No 	Driver 	Team 	Time 	Pos 	Time 	Pos 	Time 	Pos 	 	 	 	 	
3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	1:25.291	11 	1:24.135	14 	1:23.711	11 	 	 	 	 	
4 	Lando Norris 	 	1:25.215	10 	1:23.632	5 	1:23.895	13 	 	 	 	 	
5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	1:25.328	12 	1:24.020	9 	1:23.884	12 	 	 	 	 	
6 	Nicholas Latifi 	 	1:25.688	13 	1:25.209	18 	1:24.499	18 	 	 	 	 	
7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	1:25.828	15 	1:24.631	15 	1:24.246	16 	 	 	 	 	
9 	Nikita Mazepin 	 	1:27.500	20 	No Time 	 	No Time 	20 	 	 	 	 	
10 	Pierre Gasly 	 	1:24.160	2 	1:23.357	2 	1:22.835	4 	 	 	 	 	
11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	1:24.915	8 	1:23.787	8 	1:22.846	5 	 	 	 	 	
14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	1:25.905	17 	1:24.056	12 	1:23.186	7 	 	 	 	 	
16 	Charles Leclerc 	 	1:24.790	7 	1:24.095	13 	1:23.276	9 	 	 	 	 	
18 	
 Lance Stroll 	 	1:26.712	19 	1:23.705	6 	1:24.154	15 	 	 	 	 	
22 	Yuki Tsunoda 	 	1:24.648	5 	1:23.735	7 	1:23.567	10 	 	 	 	 	
31 	Esteban Ocon 	 	1:24.972	9 	1:24.041	11 	1:23.209	8 	 	 	 	 	
33 	Max Verstappen 	 	1:23.723	1 	1:23.498	3 	1:22.651	3 	 	 	 	 	
44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	1:24.509	4 	1:23.570	4 	1:22.388	2 	 	 	 	 	
47 	Mick Schumacher 	 	1:26.699	18 	1:25.575	19 	1:24.680	19 	 	 	 	 	
55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	1:24.713	6 	1:24.033	10 	1:23.048	6 	 	 	 	 	
63 	George Russell 	 	1:25.871	16 	1:24.954	16 	1:23.923	14 	 	 	 	 	
77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	1:24.194	3 	1:23.148	1 	1:22.310	1 	 	 	 	 	
99 	Antonio Giovinazzi	 	1:25.757	14 	1:25.072	17 	1:24.288	17 	 	 	 	 	
Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:	Source:
==Qualifying==
===Q1===
Eliminated from the session were Raikkonen, Latifi, Giovinazzi, Schumacher and Mazepin, who was nearly four seconds off having not driven much in FPs 2 and 3.
===Q2===
Perez, Stroll, Leclerc, Ricciardo and Russell were all eliminated in the session.
===Q3===
Having set the fastest time early on, Hamilton managed to improve again to the fastest time overall of the session, just before Gasly, who was fourth fastest, ran over the kerbs exiting Turn 15 and receiving a puncture and broken front wing. Verstappen and Bottas stayed second and third fastest as yellow flags were deployed for a slowing Gasly, meaning Hamilton secured his first pole position since the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, with the gap of 0.455 the largest margin of the season. 
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	
Q1 	
Q1 	 	Q2 	Q2 	 	Q3 	Q3 	Grid
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	Grid
1 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	 	1 	1:21.901 	 	1 	1:21.682 	 	1 	1:20.827 	1
2 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	 	2 	1:21.996 	 	4 	1:21.984 	 	2 	1:21.282 	7*
3 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	 	3 	1:22.016 	 	5 	1:21.991 	 	3 	1:21.478 	6†
4 	10 	
 Pierre Gasly 	 	 	8 	1:22.535 	 	2 	1:21.728 	 	4 	1:21.640 	2
5 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	 	6 	1:22.422 	 	3 	1:21.894 	 	5 	1:21.670 	3
6 	4 	Lando Norris 	 	 	14 	1:22.839 	 	9 	1:22.216 	 	6 	1:21.731 	4
7 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	 	4 	1:22.304 	 	10 	1:22.241 	 	7 	1:21.840 	5
8 	22 	Yuki Tsunoda 	 	 	7 	1:22.458 	 	7 	1:22.058 	 	8 	1:21.881 	8
9 	31 	Esteban Ocon 	 	 	11 	1:22.565 	 	6 	1:22.012 	 	9 	1:22.028 	9
10 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	 	9 	1:22.549 	 	8 	1:22.146 	 	10 	1:22.785 	10
11 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	 	5 	1:22.398 	 	11 	1:22.346 	 	 	 	11
12 	18 	Lance Stroll 	 	 	10 	1:22.551 	 	12 	1:22.460 	 	 	 	12
13 	16 	Charles Leclerc 	 	 	13 	1:22.742 	 	13 	1:22.463 	 	 	 	13
14 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	 	12 	1:22.688 	 	14 	1:22.597 	 	 	 	14
15 	63 	George Russell 	 	 	15 	1:22.863 	 	15 	1:22.756 	 	 	 	15
16 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	 	16 	1:23.156 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16
17 	6 	Nicholas Latifi 	 	 	17 	1:23.213 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17
18 	99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	 	 	18 	1:23.262 	 	 	 	 	 	 	18
19 	47 	Mick Schumacher 	 	 	19 	1:23.407 	 	 	 	 	 	 	19
20 	9 	Nikita Mazepin 	 	 	20 	1:25.859 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20
107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634 	107% Time: 1:27.634
Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)	Source: - Qualifying, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/qualifying.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 20 Nov 2021)
*Bold indicates the fastest driver's time in each session.
** Verstappen was given a five-place grid penalty for not slowing down during waved double yellow flags.
*† Bottas was given a three-place grid penalty for not slowing down during waved single yellow flag.
===Grid===
The starting grid of the feature race of the is outined below:
Show Grid
==== Notes==== 
*Bottas and Verstappen penalised 3 and 5 grid places respectively for yellow-flag infringements during qualifying.Formula1.com: - Starting Grid, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/starting-grid.html
==Race ==
===Report===
Just hours before the race, Verstappen, Bottas and Sainz were summoned to the stewards for yellow flag infractions during qualifying. As a result, Verstappen was handed a five-place grid penalty, dropping from second to seventh, while Bottas received a three-place penalty, dropping down to sixth. Sainz meanwhile was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Hamilton led out of the start, with Alonso passing Gasly a few corners later while Verstappen leapt to fourth. Bottas however dropped down to eleventh. As the race progressed, Hamilton gradually began to extend his advantage from the field, while Verstappen made his way to second in a couple of laps. Perez and Bottas also progressed. Verstappen dropped from Hamilton as he reported minor wing damage.
Verstappen stopped on Lap 17, and Hamilton followed a lap later and retained the lead, though lost a bit of time encountering traffic and Verstappen's pace on newer tires. At this stage, Bottas, Norris and both Ferraris are yet to stop, with Perez and Alonso passing Leclerc after the Monegasque locked up at Turn 1.
Drama began on the 33rd lap when Bottas suddenly suffered a puncture on the front left tire, limping back to the pits, dropping down and rejoining out of the points. Hamilton, Verstappen and Perez then made their second stops, trading fastest laps with each other as Perez recovered again, passing Stroll and Ocon to reclaim the final podium spot from Alonso, who was voicing concerns on his tires running on a long stint.
More puncture incidents then followed, with Russell being the first of these to receive the puncture, then Norris, and then Latifi. Unlike Russell, who made it back to the pits to have his tires replaced, Latifi was forced to stop on the side of the track to retire, just as Norris pitted from 5th with the similar issue, dropping down to 10th. Bottas meanwhile had retired earlier following damage received from his puncture.
Perez' charge on Alonso was all but over when the VSC was called in the closing laps to recover Latifi's car. Verstappen pitted for soft tires in an attempt to set the fastest lap. Hamilton meanwhile, completed the final tour without incident and won the race, with Verstappen a distance behind in second and Alonso in third ahead of Perez. Completing in the points were Ocon, Stroll, Sainz, Leclerc, Norris and Vettel.
===Results ===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	44 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	57 	1:24:28.471 	1 	25
2 	33 	Max Verstappen 	 	57 	+ 25.743 	7 	19FL
3 	14 	Fernando Alonso 	 	57 	+ 59.457 	3 	15
4 	11 	Sergio Pérez 	 	57 	+ 1:02.306 	11 	12
5 	31 	Esteban Ocon 	 	57 	+ 1:20.570 	9 	10
6 	18 	Lance Stroll 	 	57 	+ 1:21.274 	12 	8
7 	55 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	 	57 	+ 1:21.911 	5 	6
8 	16 	Charles Leclerc 	 	57 	+ 1:23.126 	13 	4
9 	4 	Lando Norris 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	4 	2
10 	5 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	10 	1
11 	10 	Pierre Gasly 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	2 	
12 	3 	Daniel Ricciardo 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	14 	
13 	22 	Yuki Tsunoda 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	8 	
14 	7 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	16 	
15 	99 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	18 	
16 	47 	Mick Schumacher 	 	56 	+ 1 lap 	19 	
17 	63 	George Russell 	 	55 	+ 2 laps 	15 	
18 	9 	Nikita Mazepin 	 	55 	+ 2 laps 	20 	
Ret 	6 	Nicholas Latifi 	 	50 	Puncture 	17 	
Ret 	77 	Valtteri Bottas 	 	48 	Puncture damage 	6 	
Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)	Source: - Race Result, https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1105/qatar/race-result.html, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2021), accessed on 21 Nov 2021)
==Milestones==
*First Qatar Grand Prix held.
**Qatar is the 33rd sovereign nation to host a grand prix.
*900th start for .
*102nd pole position and race win for Lewis Hamilton.
**Hamilton extends his record of taking pole position at the most different circuits at 31, and making Losail as the 30th different circuit to win.
**This race also marks Hamilton's 60th victory from pole position, and his 175th race led.
*First front row start for Pierre Gasly.
*98th podium for Fernando Alonso, his first since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix.
**Alonso breaks the record for the most races between consecutive podiums at 105 races.
==Standings==
With two races remaining, Hamilton closed the gap to Verstappen to eight points. Bottas' retirement meant that Red Bull closed into Mercedes to 5 points in the constructor's championship battle. Alonso's podium meant that Alpine took off from AlphaTauri with a 25-point difference, as neither driver of the latter team scored. Ferrari also extended their advantage from McLaren by 8 points after yet another poor showing from McLaren.
Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Max Verstappen 	351.5 	
2 	Lewis Hamilton 	343.5 	
3 	Valtteri Bottas 	203 	
4 	Sergio Pérez 	190 	
5 	Lando Norris 	153 	
6 	Charles Leclerc 	152 	
7 	Carlos Sainz, Jr. 	145.5 	
8 	Daniel Ricciardo 	105 	
9 	Pierre Gasly 	92 	
10 	Fernando Alonso 	77 	
11 	Esteban Ocon 	60 	
12 	Sebastian Vettel 	43 	
13 	Lance Stroll 	34 	
14 	Yuki Tsunoda 	20 	
15 	George Russell 	16 	
16 	Kimi Räikkönen 	10 	
17 	Nicholas Latifi 	7 	
18 	Antonio Giovinazzi 	1 	
Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	546.5 	
2 	 	541.5 	
3 	 	297.5 	
4 	 	258 	
5 	 	137 	
6 	 	112 	
7 	 	77 	
8 	 	23 	
9 	 	11 	
Only point-scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
*
References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:2021 Formula One Season
Category:2021 Grands Prix
Category:Qatar Grand Prix