Verstappen dominates Qatar GP as Norris penalised

Max Verstappen won his ninth race of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix, leading throughout despite three safety car periods.

The Red Bull driver, who started second after a grid penalty for impeding Russell in qualifying, took the lead from the Mercedes driver at the start and controlled the race from the front.

McLaren's Lando Norris initially kept pace with Verstappen, staying within two seconds during the early stages.

However, his challenge ended when he received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags.

The flags were shown when debris from Alex Albon's wing mirror scattered across the start-finish straight.

The debris caused significant disruption, leading to front-left punctures for Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

Both drivers were forced to pit, bringing out the safety car to clear the track.

Verstappen managed all three safety car restarts effectively.

The first came early in the race following a collision involving Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, and Esteban Ocon.

The second was triggered by the debris and subsequent punctures, while the final interruption came when Hulkenberg's Haas went into the gravel at Turn 9.

The Dutch driver pulled away cleanly each time, showing consistent pace on both tyre compounds.

After switching to hard tyres during the second safety car period, Verstappen maintained his advantage at the front.

The victory extends Verstappen's lead in the championship, with Red Bull maintaining their strong form in the 2024 season.