2023 Qatar Grand Prix

## Lap Leaders

The **2023 Qatar Grand Prix** (officially known as the **Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023**) was the seventeenth race of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship, held at Lusail International Circuit on the weekend of October 6 to October 8, 2023.

## Background

### Championship standings before the race

Going into the weekend, Max Verstappen leads the World Drivers' Championship with 400 points, 177 points from his teammate Sergio Pérez, second, and 210 from Lewis Hamilton in third. Red Bull Racing, with 623 points, lead the Constructors' Championship (having secured the title at the preceding Japanese Grand Prix) from Mercedes by 318 points and Ferrari by 338 points.

Current World Drivers' Championship leader Max Verstappen had an opportunity to secure their third title, his third in a row. Verstappen could win the title by finishing sixth in the sprint, with Pérez winning. Had Verstappen not scored in the sprint and Pérez had won, Verstappen would still only have to finish eighth in the Grand Prix – regardless of Pérez's result – to win the title. Verstappen would win the title as his advantage would be the same as the number of remaining obtainable points in the season (146), but Pérez would not be able to win on a tiebreaker due to Verstappen achieving more wins than Pérez, even if Pérez would go on to win the remaining Grands Prix.

### Entrants

The drivers and teams were the same as the season entry list, with the exception of Liam Lawson, who was in the seat originally held by Nyck de Vries.

### Tyre choices

Tyre supplier Pirelli brought the C1, C2 and C3 tyre compounds (designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively) for teams to use at the event.

#### Tyre safety concerns and responses

After the free practice session and qualifying, Pirelli's analysis of the used tyres gave them concern about damage from the track's kerbs. As a response, the track limits at turns 12 and 13 were altered before the sprint shootout and a ten minute acclimatisation session was added to the schedule on Saturday. The FIA stated that should the tyre concerns persist following the sprint, they would introduce a limit on the maximum number of laps that tyres could be run: 20 laps for the first set of tyres, and 22 laps for subsequent sets, including laps from previous sessions. This would require each driver to make at least three in-race pit stops for tyres.
Due to the frequency of safety cars in the sprint, the tyre data available for analysis by Pirelli was insufficient to add to that already undertaken following the previous track sessions. Before Sunday's race, the FIA amended the maximum number of laps tyres could be run to 18 laps per each set of tyres, down from 20. The mandate to perform three pit-stops was removed, although this remained the consequence of the 18 laps per tyre set rule. Laps run behind the safety car would not be counted towards a tyre's life with regards to the 18 lap limit, meaning a safety car intervention during the race could make a two stop strategy permissible. The rule marked the first time the FIA has enforced stint lengths in an F1 race for safety reasons.

### Track changes

The DRS detection point was moved further back, being positioned 40 metres (130 ft) after turn 15.

## Qualifying

### Qualifying Report

Qualifying was held on 6 October 2023, at 20:00 local time (UTC+3), and determined the starting grid order for the main race.

Max Verstappen topped the first and third segment, propelling him into pole position ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The session was affected by numerous track limits violations which negatively affected Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Sergio Pérez, the last of whom had set a time quick enough to get into the third segment but had it deleted.

Lance Stroll experienced another Q1 exit, and in frustration appeared to shove his personal trainer after exiting his car. In a later interview with *Autosport* magazine, Stroll stated that he was on good terms with his trainer.

## Sprint Shootout

### Sprint Shootout Report

The sprint shootout was originally scheduled for 7 October 2023, at 16:00 local time (UTC+3), before being postponed to 16:20 due to an extra track acclimatization session. It determined the starting grid order for the sprint.

Max Verstappen made a mistake which led to his track times being deleted, which opened the gates for the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to punch through and take a one-two qualification ahead of Verstappen. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll experienced another first segment elimination and Logan Sargeant ran over the 107% rule but was allowed to race under the stewards' discretion.

## Sprint

### Sprint Report

The sprint was held on 7 October 2023, at 20:30 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 19 laps.

Oscar Piastri took his and McLaren's first sprint victory ahead of Max Verstappen in second and Piastri's teammate Lando Norris in third. Verstappen secured his third consecutive Formula One World Championship after his teammate Sergio Pérez crashed out and was mathematically eliminated from contention.

The sprint saw the deployment of three safety cars and five retirements. Liam Lawson and Logan Sargeant both individually spun into the gravel, and Esteban Ocon, Pérez and Nico Hülkenberg crashed together after the Alpine locked up going three wide, running into Pérez's side pod and damaging Hülkenberg's front wing and suspension. Ocon's incident was deemed a racing incident by the stewards and no further action was taken.

Alexander Albon, starting in seventeenth, climbed up ten places to finish seventh. The points positions were rounded off by Fernando Alonso, finishing eighth. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc fell foul of track limits and had five seconds added to their times following the race.

## Race

### Race Report

The race was held on 8 October 2023, at 20:00 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 57 laps.

Prior to the race, a fuel leak in Carlos Sainz Jr.'s car was discovered which prevented him from starting the race. Lewis Hamilton retired from the race by turning into the Mercedes of George Russell at the first corner on lap 1. Max Verstappen led all laps, recorded the fastest lap and won the race ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The two McLarens both recovered from lower grid positions, resulting in the teams 500th and 501st podiums. Meanwhile, Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez started from the pit lane and recovered to tenth.

The race was run in challenging hot conditions: in particular, Esteban Ocon vomited in his car twice but managed to finish the race in seventh, while Logan Sargeant chose to retire due to heat stroke and dehydration, exacerbated by a flu-like symptom he already had coming into the weekend. Sargeant's teammate Alexander Albon was also sent to the medical centre after the race for heat exposure. Lance Stroll said he was "passing out" in the car and suffered blurred vision. Many drivers, including Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Russell, Ocon, Verstappen, and Norris said it was the most physically demanding race of their careers.

McLaren, servicing Norris, set the new record for the fastest pit stop, clocking in at 1.80 seconds. The previous record was set at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix by Red Bull Racing at 1.82 seconds, servicing Verstappen.

## Notes

1. ↑ Sergio Pérez qualified thirteenth, but he was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements. He was then required to start the race from the pit lane as the new elements of different specification from the ones originally used were installed on his car during parc fermé conditions without the approval of the technical delegate and for the new chassis being considered a new car entered for him.
2. ↑ Logan Sargeant failed to set a time within the 107% requirement. He was permitted to race in the sprint at the stewards' discretion.
3. ↑ Charles Leclerc finished seventh on track, but he received a post-sprint five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
4. ↑ Lance Stroll finished thirteenth on track, but he received a post-sprint five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
5. ↑ Includes one point for fastest lap.
6. ↑ Sergio Pérez finished eleventh, but he received a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits. He gained a position following Lance Stroll's penalty.
7. ↑ Lance Stroll finished ninth, but he received two five-second time penalties for exceeding track limits.
8. ↑ Pierre Gasly finished tenth, but he received two five-second time penalties for exceeding track limits.
9. ↑ Alexander Albon received two five-second time penalties for exceeding track limits. His final position was not affected by the penalty.
10. ↑ Nico Hülkenberg was due to start the race from fourteenth, but he erroneously started from the twelfth place grid slot which had been left vacant by Carlos Sainz being unable to start. He received a ten-second time penalty for the infraction.
11. ↑ Carlos Sainz did not start the race due to a fuel leak. His place on the grid was erroneously occupied by Nico Hülkenberg.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Already have won the 2023 World Championship.