Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen won his ninth race of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix.
The race in Qatar was extremely eventful with controversy involving Max Verstappen and George Russell before the Grand Prix had even started.
Verstappen was penalised in qualifying for driving too slowly on a cooldown lap and handed a one-place penalty, a nearly unprecedented action to take from the stewards.
An angry Verstappen is a fast Verstappen and he was leading the race by the time he exited turn one.
There were spins, punctures and penalties galore behind Verstappen but he never lost sight of taking home victory.
Naomi Schiff couldn’t even repeat Verstappen’s post-race rant such was his ire towards Russell and the penalty situation from Saturday’s qualifying session.
Verstappen held talks with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem before the race and given the pressure on the organisation, it’s hard to imagine the 27-year-old kept his opinions to himself.
However, it only motivated him further and sharpened his senses, as was demonstrated by his ability to spot the fact that Lando Norris hadn’t slowed for the yellow flags being waved on the main straight after Alex Albon’s mirror pinged off his Williams and set in the middle of the road.
The decision not to deploy the safety car when such a large piece of debris was on the track will continue to be debated after Valtteri Bottas ran the mirror over and Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz almost immediately picked up punctures, albeit it’s yet to be seen whether those incidents were related.
Verstappen avoided all of that drama and took a well-deserved victory and was congratulated by Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk after an equally positive result for the Dutch footballer in the Premier League.
Virgil van Dijk reacts to Max Verstappen winning the Qatar Grand Prix
Verstappen posted on Instagram after the race to celebrate one of his more important victories this season.
Although it wasn’t as impressive his run in Sao Paulo, or as important as holding Norris off at Imola or Austin, emotionally, the Dutchman was delighted to defeat his rivals.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Verstappen said: “YES! What a race, had a lot of fun out there!!! Big thanks to @redbullracing for turning the car around. Simply lovely.”
Van Dijk and Verstappen have interacted before and on this occasion, the Dutch international footballer suggested that Verstappen was on fire in Qatar.
Christian Horner lauds Max Verstappen after the Qatar Grand Prix
Red Bull’s success this season has almost exclusively been down to Verstappen and although Sergio Perez’s retirement may not have been his fault, it put more pressure on the 27-year-old.
Horner noted a safety car issue Verstappen was forced to deal with, however, aside from that problem he controlled the race very well.
The Red Bull team principal also took to social media to congratulate his driver on his 63rd F1 race victory.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Horner said on Instagram: “Another masterclass from Max to take a ninth win of the season and complete a remarkable comeback here in Qatar.
“The team did a wonderful job in turning around and delivering a car that @maxverstappen1 could really put his stamp on.
“He was focused and in control throughout the race, his management of the tyres in that first stint was exceptional.”
Verstappen would love to reach double figures for victories in 2024 in Abu Dhabi and that could ultimately have an impact on how the Constructors’ Championship ends even if Red Bull are no longer in contention.
Leave feedback about this