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 automobile durations, 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 didn’t see double waved yellow flags on the principle 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 brought about earlier within the weekend when he talked about he may have received the title ahead of Las Vegas if he was driving the Brit’s McLaren MCL38.
“I requested the workforce ‘did he carry or not?'” Verstappen requested, post-race. “I believe it is truthful to ask that, if you carry 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 prior to now, which is what it’s.”
Carlos Sainz and George Russell good friend a sponsor in Qatar
Off-track, issues acquired bizarre – with tennis legend Novak Djokovic named as F1 main sponsor Qatar Airways’ International Model Ambassador and Wellness Advisor. However, as an alternative of getting onto the court docket with some drivers, the Serbian star was whisked off to standard 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 chopping,” the Joker mentioned. “Yeah, I can not 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 usually at his native fitness center.
“I am actually a giant fan of Method One,” he mentioned. “I’ve been all the time [a fan] for the reason that very younger age. Michael Schumacher was my idol in Method One. I cherished 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 recreation with one other Monaco-based champion – Lewis Hamilton.
“A number 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 must always do it as a result of he must work on his tennis recreation. He is not glad together with his tennis recreation. So I believe I may help him with that somewhat bit.”
Lewis Hamilton woe at F1 Qatar Grand Prix
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. In the long run, 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 sort 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 in depth 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 wished to tug some Gs, so we began at 4, then 5, then six, and he made it to seven and a half Gs right now. Simply an unbelievable pilot behind the stick and the throttle right now and I used to be simply actually impressed together with his flying potential.”
