DOHA: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrated his first win as a triple Formula One world champion after dominating a Qatar Grand Prix peppered with pitstops and penalties on a Sunday night of sweltering heat.

The victory from pole position under the Lusail floodlights was a 14th in 17 races, and career 49th, for the 26-year-old Red Bull driver.

Oscar Piastri, winner of that 19-lap sprint, finished second with McLaren team-mate Lando Norris third in what became a three-stopper after Pirelli warned of the risk of blowouts. While Verstappen looked like he had spent the evening in a sauna, the heat and humidity left others vomiting in their helmets and on the brink of collapse.

Williams’ Alex Albon, who led for one lap when others pitted, was taken to the medical centre to be treated for acute heat exposure while team-mate Logan Sargeant suffered severe dehydration. There was drama even before the cars had lined up on the grid when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was ruled out by a fuel system problem.

It continued seconds after the start when Mer­cedes team-mates George Russell and Lewis Hami­lton collided at the first corner, with the latter accusing the younger Briton of taking him out.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2023