In case there was still an additional theatrical blow to the Qatar Grand Prix, the grid sanctions have once again taken center stage with a direct impact on the fight for the championship. Max Verstappen’s five-position penalty for failing to respect a double caution will see the championship leader start from seventh, six places behind poleman Lewis Hamilton. However, the sanction that has also been imposed on his teammate Valtteri Bottas, in his case of three positions, reduces his margin of safety.
Accompanying him in the front row will be a hungry Pierre Gasly whose AlphaTauri has been very fast all weekend, and in third place, with his best grid position in eight years, Fernando Alonso will seek the machado and return to a podium that he does not taste. from 2014. Both will start on softs and could be a headache for Hamilton early in the event, as did Lando Norris in fourth place. Fortunately, Carlos Sainz did not receive a sanction despite being investigated, and the Spaniard will also have good options for a great result from fifth place. A lot is at stake in this first race at the Losail circuit, which we will tell directly at motor.es