P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mark Hughes: The lost laps that skewed F1’s Qatar pecking order
The Qatar Grand Prix was heavily impacted by track limit penalties, causing disruptions in the grid. Several drivers, including Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc, lost laps due to penalties, affecting the final grid order. Max Verstappen, who was on pole position, had to abandon his final effort after running wide. The challenging conditions included a low-grip new surface, gusty winds blowing desert sand, fast corners that rewarded perfect positioning, friendly kerbs, and a significant increase in grip between runs. Limited previous running and a zero tolerance policy on track limits also played a role. Sainz struggled with the Ferrari’s reaction to the new surface and the lower track temperatures, causing oversteer and discomfort. Checo Perez was unhappy with the combination of an oversteering chassis balance and the low grip of the surface. Lando Norris blamed himself for his errors, admitting it was not a good day for him.
Source: The Race
