P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 2023 Qatar GP – Sprint Results
The tyre choices were divided on the grid, with the top three using Medium tyres while many opted for Softs. Piastri maintained his lead at Turn 1, but Norris and Verstappen were both pushed back in the initial exchanges. Russell and Sainz made impressive starts and jumped to second and third place respectively. A collision between Lawson and Sargeant led to Lawson getting stuck in the gravel, causing a Safety Car. Russell, with the Soft tyres, took advantage of the Safety Car restart and overtook Piastri to take the lead. Sargeant had another incident, spinning off into the gravel on his own, leading to another Safety Car. The Soft tyres appeared to degrade quickly, as Piastri regained the lead by Lap 11, with Verstappen and Norris also making progress. Ocon, Hulkenberg, and Perez were involved in a three-way collision, resulting in all three retiring and another Safety Car period. Piastri pulled away at the restart and built a 2.5-second gap to Verstappen, eventually overtaking the struggling Russell. Piastri secured his first victory in the series, although not in the main event. Verstappen’s World Championship title was confirmed for the third consecutive time after Perez’s retirement. Norris recovered to third place as the Soft runners continued to struggle, joining his McLaren teammate in the top three. Russell was the highest-placed Soft tyre finisher, followed by Hamilton in the Mediums. Sainz finished ahead of his Ferrari teammate Leclerc, while Albon recovered to eighth place to claim the final point.
Source: Motorsport Week
