Summary

  • Verstappen wins; Piastri 2nd; Sainz 3rd; Norris 4th

  • Title fight goes to final race in Abu Dhabi after Norris misses chance in Qatar

  • Norris loses place off startline to Verstappen

  • Safety car after crash for Hulkenberg

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Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. 'Really interesting that McLaren have done it that way'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Esteban Ocon in the Haas has not come in, he's the only other driver apart from the two McLarens not to pit.

    Really interesting that McLaren have done it that way, I wonder why. Are they going to double stack them on this next lap round?

  2. 'This is a really intriguing situation here'

    Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    There's an argument that could even be a red flag, there is debris everywhere and a car stranded in the infield of a circuit.

    This is a really intriguing situation here.

  3. Safety car

    Lap 9/57

    Lando Norris is asking his pit wall why didn't he follow Max Verstappen in to the pits? His engineer replies, with the two-stopper in play at tonight's Qatar Grand Prix, the rest of the grid have "lost all their flexibility for the remainder of the race".

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    I want Lando to win out of these contenders, but a 3 way fight in Abu Dhabi would be very interesting!

    Henry

  5. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The balance shift Max Verstappen is talking about is when he's going through a left-hand corner he's feeling something different in terms of understeer versus oversteer, how the car is behaving to the way it feels going into a right-hand corner.

    Potentially something to do with set-up or more likely to do with tyre temperature.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  6. Safety car

    Lap 8/57

    Max Verstappen pits from second place to dump his medium tyres. The pit lane is packed now as cars pile in. Ferrari have changed both drivers but the McLarens have stayed out.

    Only Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon, who has climbed all the way up to third, have not stopped under the safety car.

    Ocon has been noted for a false start and after an investigation, the Haas driver has been slapped with a five-second time penalty.

  7. Get Involved - your title race predictions

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    I really hope Oscar can hold off Verstappen for his title race comeback! He deserves it, I think, more than Lando or Max.

    Emiko

    Hoping Lando can do the job and get the win today.. Championship is in his hands

    Sean

  8. yellow flag

    Yellow flag

    Lap 7/57

    Nico Hulkenberg has gone off in a dusty spin - looks like the Sauber driver has made contact with the Alpine of Pierre Gasly.

    The yellow flags have changed to a full safety car!

  9. Team radio - Verstappen to Red Bull

    "I have quite extreme balance shifts right to left hand corners."

  10. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It was a really good start from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris came very close to taking back that position against Max Verstappen right underneath the rear wing.

    You've got to get up very early in the morning to get past Verstappen particularly in a situation like this.

  11. Lap 6/57

    Pierre Gasly went off the track a lap or two ago and now the Frenchman has been given a black and white for rejoining the action unsafely.

    Oscar Piastri is leading Max Verstappen by 2.6 seconds, just as a yellow flag is shown...

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    That’s exactly what Norris would have wanted, let Verstappen attack Piastri or push him to ruin his tyres.

    Jason

    If only he could get these starts sorted! Come on Lando!

    Lee

  13. Lap 5/57

    George Russell's lost places at the start means Fernando Alonso has also benefited from the Mercedes man's troubles and now the Aston Martin driver is running in sixth place, which will be great for the team's midfield ambitions.

  14. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    George Russell dropping back to P7, he was a guy who we thought might get in the mix here, very fast over the course of this weekend and a car that is working very well.

    There is a long way to go but that certainly wasn't the start that he needed.

  15. Lap 4/57

    Max Verstappen was straight up on Lando Norris at lights out. The McLaren driver, on the dirtier side of the grid, had no fight against his Red Bull rival. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, had to battle his way past a number of cars, including a feisty Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls.

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    The most important 5 mins of this championship coming up

    Nipuna

  17. Lap 3/57

    Nico Hulkenberg has gained a place and is now in the top 10 on his starting soft tyres. track limits is popping up already at the tricky Turn 10 section. One to watch as we go along tonight.

    Oscar Piastri is the quickest man on the Lusail circuit by 2.1 seconds.

  18. Piastri leads from pole

    Lap 2/57

    Oscar Piastri has completed his first job of the night and he leads this Qatar Grand Prix from the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.

    Charles Leclerc has dropped to 11th place from 10th and what happened to George Russell at the race start I do not know. His team-mate Kimi Antonelli has taken his place in fourth, Carlos Sainz is fifth.

    Oscar Piastri leads in QatarGetty Images

  19. Marc Priestley
    Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It's exactly what we though might happen, Max Verstappen on the cleaner side of the grid just got a nicer launch off the line and got himself past the McLaren of Lando Norris.

  20. Get Involved - 'Lando to bring it home'

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    Rooting for Lando today from turn 16 to bring it home and hoping for some better luck for Lewis as well. Whatever happens, apologies to everyone back home but the weather this weekend has been banging!

    Luke