Max Verstappen started the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, held at Lusail International Circuit, from pole position and already as crowned three-time world champion after clinching the title in Saturday’s sprint race.

The race began in dramatic fashion. As the cars stormed into Turn 1, Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided. Hamilton tried to overtake on the outside but misjudged the move, leaving both cars in trouble.

The seven-time world champion, who later admitted it was his fault, was forced to retire on the spot, while Russell managed to continue, eventually fighting back to finish fourth. 

Ferrari’s day started poorly as well, with Carlos Sainz unable to even take the grid due to a fuel system issue. That left Charles Leclerc as Ferrari’s sole representative, while Logan Sargeant added to the list of retirements later in the race, withdrawing with 15 laps to go after struggling with the intense heat and humidity.

At the front, Verstappen was unstoppable and secured for himself a victory number 14 in 2023. Behind him, McLaren had a fantastic evening. Oscar Piastri, fresh off his sprint race victory, finished second, and teammate Lando Norris joined him on the podium in third.

The extreme heat made the race very tough for the drivers, with many saying it was one of the hardest races they’d ever experienced. Things got even harder because of a last-minute rule that limited each tyre stint to just 18 laps.

This rule, the first of its kind in Formula 1, was put in place after concerns that the tyres could cause a dangerous puncture if wore for too long. The rule was recommended by Pirelli and enforced by the FIA to keep the drivers safe.

On top of everything, McLaren also managed to set the fastest pit stop in the F1 history of 1.80s with Lando Norris' car.