#2021 F1 STANDINGS DRIVER#
It's ironic the driver who benefited the most from the grid penalties was the one who caused it all. Alpine earned 25 points while AlphaTauri ended up empty-handed. That was seven years and two teams ago points leader Verstappen hadn't even made his F1 debut yet.Īlonso's teammate Esteban Ocon also hung on for fifth as Alpine was able to finally pull away from AlphaTauri in the constructors' standings after being deadlocked in fifth place during the past two races. It was the kind of drive we haven't seen from Alonso since, well, 2014 in Hungary when he was still racing for Ferrari. The Spanish driver was only on a one-stop pit strategy and was able to avoid critical tire damage that plagued others to bring home P3. It had been 104 races since Fernando Alonso finished on the podium, back at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2014, and the two-time world champion wasn't intent on making it 105. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team November 21, 2021 VB: "Just a normal day for me in the office." Misery loves company though and Bottas was forced to call it a day with less than 10 laps remaining due to a punctured tire. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff encouraged Bottas on the radio to "get these cars" and make some Hamilton-esque aggressive attacks even though that's not the style for the Finnish driver. Meanwhile, Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, who missed the cut for Q3 Saturday and started P11, also had a great run out of the gate to gain ground and finished fourth.Īs Verstappen was moving up at the start, Bottas was spinning in the opposite direction and actually lost five more places to fall into 11th on the opening lap. The Dutch driver made a brilliant move out of the starting blocks to make up three spots right off the bat and breezed by Gasly and Fernando Alonso on consecutive laps early on to quickly restore order. With Hamilton on pole position and sprinting away, it was all about "damage limitation," as Verstappen said on his radio during the race, having to start P7 after incurring the aforementioned grid penalty.
Hamilton continued to show his support for the LGBTQ+ community by sporting a rainbow-coloured helmet during the race.Īlthough Hamilton closed the gap in the drivers' standings, Red Bull did the same on the constructors' side pulling within five points of Mercedes for the lead. "I think we can still bring a spotlight to it and create that scrutiny and that pressure that could hopefully create change." "I just feel that if we are coming to these places, we need to be raising the profile of the situation," Hamilton told the Associated Press. Hamilton should be applauded for using his platform to speak out on human rights issues plaguing countries that host F1 races. Just 8 points between and taking home the 2021 championship? #F1 /8qJA2xgesm Tensions seemed to have simmered during Sunday's race - you know, the thing everyone actually cares about - but they'll begin bubbling again soon enough with the title within reach. Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas also received a three-spot penalty.
Verstappen didn't escape unscathed this time and was dinged five spots on the starting grid. That carried over into Saturday's qualifying session when Pierre Gasly sustained a punctured tire and Verstappen ignored the subsequent double yellow flags. Tensions were still boiling over from last weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Mercedes continued to challenge the FIA's decision not to penalize Red Bull and Verstappen for appearing to run Hamilton off the track during the race. No need to add any chili powder as there’s more than enough spicy drama to go around. Hamilton, who also started P1 for the 102nd time, led from flag to flag to narrow the gap on championship leader Max Verstappen, who had to settle for second place.Įight points are all that now separate Hamilton from Verstappen and only two races remain on the calendar as the Mercedes driver seeks an unprecedented eighth Formula One title. There's a first time, or even a 102nd time, for everything as Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix uncontested from pole position Sunday for his 102nd victory.
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