The Qatar Grand Prix as it happened

By: Jake Boxall-Legge, Haydn Cobb, Stephen Lickorish

Summary


	Hamilton comfortably wins the inaugural Qatar GP from pole, as Verstappen takes second with point for fastest lap Red Bull driver makes a storming start from seventh, following grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags in qualifying Alonso finishes third to take his first F1 podium for over seven years! Nervy end to the race as both Williams drivers suffer punctures, with Bottas enduring the same problem earlier Bottas's tyre woe came mid-race and Mercedes later retired his car, hampering the team's constructors' title bid
	Leaderboard Hamilton, Mercedes Verstappen, Red Bull Alonso, Alpine Perez, Red Bull Ocon, Alpine Stroll, Aston Martin Sainz, Ferrari Leclerc, Ferrari Norris, McLaren Vettel, Aston Martin

Status: Stopped

18:49 And that's all from us - the final triple header (of the season) is done and dusted. Eight points in it - the last two rounds will come in a couple of weeks' time. See ya then.

18:48

Here's the race report:

18:46

18:39 Alonso: "Unbelievable - seven years! But finally, we got it. Today, honestly, I thought I could be leading after lap 1 - and then with Checo it was very close at the end."

18:38

18:38 Verstappen: "Of course, our starting position was a bit compromised, but we had a really good. To get that fastest lap was very nice."

18:37 Hamilton: "It was pretty straightforward, pretty lonely at the front. A really solid job from the team. I can't wait to watch the replay to see what happened behind me."

18:34 Wolff: "Now let's go to Saudi Arabia". Doesn't quite have the same ring to it as the Vengaboys' "We're Going To Ibiza"...

18:31

18:30 Stroll holds off Sainz and Leclerc, with Norris and Vettel completing the scorers.

18:30 Perez comes home in fourth, as Ocon finishes fifth in a decisive strike for Alpine in the constructors' title in its battle versus AlphaTauri.

18:29 It's third for Fernando Alonso, his first podium since...2014?

18:29 It's a 1m23.196s for Verstappen, who gets second AND the fastest lap point!

18:28 Lewis Hamilton wins the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix!

18:27 The VSC ends, just as we break into the final lap!

18:26 The VSC has been called as Latifi's car needs to be recovered safely from the edge of the circuit. With under two laps to go that might be that in this race.

18:26 Verstappen pits for a fresh set of softs!

18:25 Virtual Safety Car deployed!

18:24 Norris, who pitted earlier for a second time potentially covering off a puncture fear, moves up to ninth place ahead of Vettel.

18:24 Verstappen posts a 1m24.031s, which should cement the fastest lap point.

18:23 Alonso is giving it a go now though, keeping the arrears to Perez on that previous lap to just a second.

18:23 Latifi cannot make it to the pits and he pulls off the track at Turn 10. That's his race over and everyone else who has one-stopped is in a world of worry for the final three laps of this race.

18:21 Four laps to go, and Alonso is going to come under attack from Perez - the Red Bull driver is taking a couple of seconds a lap out of the Alpine.

18:21 Now the other Williams has a left-front puncture! Latifi's has gone at the final corner so he has a whole lap to complete on three wheels.

18:19 Russell has a puncture! It is the left-front that has gone, like Bottas had earlier, and he crawls back to the pits.

18:18 Norris, however, makes Perez's job easier and comes in for a late stop for the mediums.

18:18 Ah, it is much worse than we suspected as Bottas is told to pit and retire from the race.

18:17 It looks like Bottas might be carrying damage after that trip through the gravel earlier. His pace is slower than all the drivers ahead of him and he's being dropped by Gasly.

18:17 Alonso sets a personal best lap to try and build enough of a gap to keep Perez at bay in the final few laps.

18:15 But although Ocon runs out of elbows as Perez breezes past at Turn 1 with DRS, he really has a go at Perez in the following corners. Whether that'll be enough to help Alonso, we can but wait.

18:13 "We've got to defend against Perez. Elbows out," Ocon is told.

18:13 Perez clears Stroll, and now has Ocon next on his list. Perez queries the two-stop, but engineer Hugh Bird tells him "you've got this."

18:12 That's a 1m25.030s for Verstappen now, as the fastest laps continue to be traded.

18:12 Not a fun couple of laps for Williams, as Russell gets overtaken by Tsunoda for 14th place.

18:11 "Tell Esteban to defend like a lion," Alonso says, as he currently sits P3, wanting his team-mate to help the Spanish driver grab a potential podium.

18:11 Perez briefly nicked the fastest lap, but Hamilton now posts a 1m25.295s.

18:10 Raikkonen and Latifi come very close to a messy clash at Turn 1 but the Finn opens his steering wheel to avoid bashing into the Williams on the outside of the corner. That sees the Finn up to 16th.

18:09 With Hamilton and Verstappen's opening laps completed following their second stops, the gap between them is just under nine seconds.

18:08 Bottas is on fightback (part II) as he gets by Ricciardo at Turn 1 to move up to 12th place. The Finn has an 11s gap to bridge to Gasly ahead next.

18:06 Perez also calls in from third, taking mediums, as Hamilton stops on lap 42 and claims a set of the yellow-walled tyres too.

Live updates from Formula 1's Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail circuit.

Summary