Max Verstappen followed up securing his fourth world championship by winning a chaotic Qatar Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered another miserable race on Sunday.
In his penultimate Mercedes appearance, seven-time world champion Hamilton was penalised twice by the stewards and said his car was “broken” as he finished down in 12th spot in a race which saw Verstappen claim a dominant win.
The Dutchman was stripped of pole position in the early hours of Sunday morning after he impeded George Russell in qualifying.
But Verstappen made amends for the sanction by blasting clear of pole-sitter Russell at the opening bend before leading every lap on his way to victory.
“I am very happy,” said Verstappen after taking his first win in dry conditions since the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
“It has been a while in the dry to be this competitive. I am very proud of the team to have turned it around.”
Lando Norris had been on course to finish runner-up, but he was dealt a severe 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow under waved yellows, dropping him to 10th.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took advantage of Norris’ demise to take second place, six seconds behind Verstappen, and one spot ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.
Russell finished fourth, with Pierre Gasly claimed fifth for Alpine and Carlos Sainz sixth for Ferrari.
McLaren head to the final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend 21 points clear of Ferrari as the British team chase their first constructors’ championship in 26 years.
Hamilton struggles in Qatar
Hamilton’s torrid evening suffered its first of multiple blows when he was handed a five-second penalty for a false start. “Sorry, guys,” said an apologetic Hamilton over the radio.
Running in eighth, Hamilton was the slowest driver of the big four teams. He was on the radio to ask if his machine was “broken”. And on lap 34, he suffered a puncture.
New race director Rui Marques failed to take any action with Alex Albon’s wing mirror left in the middle of the track.
Valtteri Bottas smashed into the carbon fibre at 200mph and debris scattered across the asphalt. Hamilton and Sainz both endured tyre failures – possibly as a result of the debris.
“Trust me to have this luck, man,” said a crestfallen Hamilton as he staggered back to the pit lane.
Out came the safety car before it peeled in again on lap 39 but with Hulkenberg in the gravel and Sergio Perez parking up with a mechanical failure, the safety car was brought out for a third time.
“Guys, the car is messed up,” said Hamilton after being informed he was 12th in the order. Hamilton then immediately lost two places at the re-start on lap 42, falling behind Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda, to leave him 14th out of 15.
It would get even worse for Hamilton when he was hit with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit-lane. He would emerge from his penalty in last place.
Hamilton asked to retire the car, but the 39-year-old was told to continue. The Briton, who insisted he “still has it” here on Saturday night, crossed the line 12th of 15 finishers.
Norris, too, would find himself on the wrong end of the stewards – punished for failing to slow under the yellow flags. He fought back to 10th and claimed a bonus point for the fastest lap.
PA