| 2023 Qatar Grand Prix | |||||
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Race 17 of 22 in the2023 Formula One World Championship
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 Layout of the Lusail International Circuit | |||||
| Race details[1] | |||||
| Date | 8 October 2023 (2023-10-08) | ||||
| Official name | Formula 1 Qatar AirwaysQatar Grand Prix 2023 | ||||
| Location | Lusail International Circuit Lusail,Qatar | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 5.419 km (3.367 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 57 laps, 308.611 km (191.762 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Clear | ||||
| Attendance | 120,000[2] | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | ||||
| Time | 1:23.778 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver |  Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | |||
| Time | 1:24.319 on lap 56 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT | ||||
| Second | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
| Third | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
Lap leaders | |||||
The2023 Qatar Grand Prix (officially known as theFormula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023) was aFormula One motor race held on 8 October 2023 at theLusail International Circuit inLusail,Qatar. It was the seventeenth round of the2023 Formula One World Championship and the fourth Grand Prix weekend of the season to utilisethe sprint format.Max Verstappen won his third Driver's Championship after his teammate,Sergio Pérez, crashed out in the sprint and was taken out of mathematical title contention.
Verstappen securedpole position for the race during qualifying, before finishing third in thesprint shootout behindMcLaren driversOscar Piastri in first andLando Norris in second, the former of whom went on to win the sprint. In the main race, Verstappen led all laps, set the fastest lap time, and won ahead of Piastri and Norris, scoring his fourthgrand chelem.McLaren set the fastestpit stop record, servicing Norris in 1.80 seconds.
The drivers were severely affected by the extreme heat throughout the weekend, with several calling the race the most difficult they had ever experienced. The difficulty was also exacerbated by the last-minute implementation of an 18-lap maximum tyre stint, recommended byPirelli and enforced by theFIA. The mandate, the first of its kind in Formula One, came in response to observations of a separation between the carcass cord and the topping compound onthe tyres, which could lead to a blow out.
The event was held across the weekend of 6–8 October. It was the seventeenth round of the2023 Formula One World Championship and the second running of theQatar Grand Prix. The weekend was the fourth of six in the season to followthe sprint format.[3][failed verification] It marked the return of the Qatar Grand Prix to the World Championship after a one year absence. This was because the event was not run in 2022 in order to avoid interfering with Qatar's responsibility for hosting the2022 FIFA World Cup. It was also the first Qatar Grand Prix to be part of a season's original schedule, as the inaugural running of the event in 2021 was held as a substitute event for the cancelled2021 Australian Grand Prix which was cancelled because of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The race was the first of a ten-year contract with the FIA until 2032.[4][5]
Coming into the weekend,Max Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship by 177 points from teammateSergio Pérez, withLewis Hamilton third, a further 33 points behind.Red Bull Racing, having secured the title at the precedingJapanese Grand Prix, led the Constructors' Championship overMercedes by 318 points andFerrari by a further 20 points.[6]
World Drivers' Championship leader Verstappen had an opportunity to secure his third consecutive title. He could have achieved it 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 had to finish eighth in the Grand Prix – regardless of Pérez's result – to win the title. Verstappen would have won the title as his advantage would have been the same as the number of remaining obtainable points in the season (146), but Pérez would not have been able to win on a tiebreaker due to Verstappen achieving more wins than Pérez, even if Pérez had gone on to win the remaining Grands Prix.[7]
The drivers and teams were the same as the season entry list, with the exception ofLiam Lawson, who was in the seat originally held byNyck de Vries.[8][a]
Tyre supplierPirelli brought the C1, C2 and C3 tyre compounds (designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively) for teams to use at the event.[11]
After the free practice session and qualifying, Pirelli's analysis of the used tyres gave them concern about damage from the track's kerbs. The previous running of the event in2021 was notable for four front-left tyre failures, which led to the retirements of two drivers.[12][13][14] 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.[15] 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.[16]
Due to the frequency ofsafety 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.[16] The rule marked the first time the FIA has enforced stint lengths in a Formula One race for safety reasons.[17]
The only scheduledfree practice session was held on 6 October 2023, at 16:30 local time (UTC+3).[1]Max Verstappen topped the session, followed by theFerrari driversCarlos Sainz Jr. andCharles Leclerc in second and third, respectively.[18] An extra track acclimatisation session, lasting ten minutes, was held on 7 October 2023, at 16:00 local time (UTC+3), to enable drivers to get used to circuit changes made in response to tyre concerns.[19]
Qualifying was held on 6 October 2023, at 20:00 local time (UTC+3), and determined the starting grid order for the main race.[1][20]
Max Verstappen topped the first and third segment, propelling him into pole position ahead ofGeorge Russell andLewis Hamilton. The session was affected by numerous track limits violations which negatively affectedLando Norris,Oscar Piastri andSergio Pérez, the last of whom had set a time quick enough to get into the third segment but had it deleted.[21]
Lance Stroll experienced another Q1 exit, and in frustration appeared to shove his personal trainer after exiting his car.[22] In a later interview withAutosport magazine, Stroll stated that he was on good terms with his trainer and had merely acted out of frustration.[23]
Thesprint 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 acclimatisation session. It determined the starting grid order for the sprint.[1][20]
Max Verstappen made a mistake which led to his track times being deleted, which opened the gates for theMcLarens ofOscar Piastri andLando Norris to punch through and take a one-two in qualification ahead of Verstappen. Meanwhile,Lance Stroll experienced another first segment elimination andLogan Sargeant's time was over the107% rule but he was allowed to race under the stewards' discretion.[28]
Thesprint was held on 7 October 2023, at 20:30 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 19 laps.[1][20]
Oscar Piastri took his and McLaren's first sprint victory ahead of Max Verstappen in second and Piastri's teammateLando Norris in third. Verstappen secured his third consecutive Formula One World Championship after his teammateSergio Pérez crashed out and was mathematically eliminated from contention. Piastri's sprint victory was his first competitive win of any sort sincehis final race in Formula 2.[31]
The sprint saw the deployment of three safety cars and five retirements.Liam Lawson andLogan Sargeant both individually spun into the gravel, andEsteban Ocon, Pérez andNico Hülkenberg crashed together after the Alpine locked up, running into Pérez's side pod and damaging Hülkenberg's front wing and suspension. It was deemed a racing incident by the stewards and no further action was taken.[31]
Alexander Albon, starting in seventeenth, climbed up ten places to finish seventh. The points positions were rounded off byFernando Alonso, finishing eighth. Meanwhile,Lance Stroll andCharles Leclerc fell foul of track limits and had five seconds added to their times following the race.[31]
The race was held on 8 October 2023, at 20:00 local time (UTC+3), and was run for 57 laps.[1][20]
Prior to the race, a fuel leak inCarlos Sainz Jr.'s car was discovered which prevented him from starting the race.[33]Lewis Hamilton retired from the race after turning into the Mercedes ofGeorge Russell at the first corner on lap 1, breaking the hub off his wheel and spinning into the gravel trap. The incident forced theSafety Car to be deployed in order to allow the marshals to remove his car and clear the debris safely. The safety car period ended on lap 4.[34] Max Verstappen led all laps, recorded the fastest lap and won the race ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who both recovered from lower grid positions,[34] resulting in theMcLaren team's 500th and 501st podiums.[35] Meanwhile, Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez started from the pit lane, received a penalty for track limits, and recovered to tenth afterLance Stroll received a penalty.[34]
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, whileLogan Sargeant chose to retire due toheat stroke and dehydration, exacerbated by flu-like symptoms he already had coming into the weekend.[36][37] Sargeant's teammateAlexander Albon was also sent to the medical centre after the race due to heat exposure.[36] Lance Stroll also went directly to the medical centre after the race,[38] and said he was "passing out" in the car and suffered blurred vision.[37][39] Russell said he was close to losing consciousness at the end of the race.[38] Many drivers, including Piastri,[40]Charles Leclerc, Russell, Ocon, Verstappen, and Norris said it was the most physically demanding race of their careers.[39]
McLaren, servicing Norris, set the new record for the fastest pit stop completed in 1.80 seconds. The previous record was set at the2019 Brazilian Grand Prix byRed Bull Racing at 1.82 seconds, servicing Verstappen.[41][42]
Notes
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| Previous race: 2023 Japanese Grand Prix | FIA Formula One World Championship 2023 season | Next race: 2023 United States Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 2021 Qatar Grand Prix | Qatar Grand Prix | Next race: 2024 Qatar Grand Prix |
