Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix after Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided on the opening lap.
Verstappen started on pole position and took the lead at the start of the race. Hamilton and Russell were close behind, but they made contact at Turn 1. Hamilton spun off and was forced to retire, while Russell had to pit for a new front wing.
This gave Verstappen a clear lead and he never looked back. He controlled the race throughout and took the chequered flag by over 4 seconds from Oscar Piastri in the McLaren. Lando Norris was third, with Russell recovering to finish fourth.
Verstappen’s victory was his 14th of the season and extended his lead in the drivers’ championship to 98 points. He is now one win away from equalling his own record of 15 victories in a season, set last year.
The collision between Hamilton and Russell was a major disappointment for Mercedes. The team had been hoping to challenge for victory in Qatar, but the incident put an end to their chances.
Hamilton was particularly disappointed, as he had been aiming to close the gap to Verstappen in the championship. However, he admitted that the crash was his fault.
“I’m just so sorry to the team and to George,” Hamilton said. “I made a mistake and I’m paying the price for it.”
Russell was also disappointed, but he was more forgiving of Hamilton.
“It’s racing,” Russell said. “These things happen. Lewis is a great driver and we’ll both learn from this.”
The Qatar Grand Prix was a disappointing race for Mercedes, but Verstappen’s victory was a dominant one.
