Qatar GP: Relentless Verstappen, Piastri's breakthrough, toughest race ever?

Sam Johnston Senior Sports Journalist Qatar Grand Prix: Max Verstappen relentless in Losail, Oscar Piastri breaks through, toughest F1 race ever? Max Verstappen won in Qatar for the first time and sealed his third consecutive title with second place in the Sprint; Lewis Hamilton and George Russell dramatically collided on Lap 1; McLaren took another double podium and tyres were a big talking point at the Losail International Circuit Last Updated: 09/10/23 1:23pm Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player It would appear all is well between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, after the Mercedes pair embraced each following their collision at the Qatar GP It would appear all is well between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, after the Mercedes pair embraced each following their collision at the Qatar GP Max Verstappen became a three-time world champion on a weekend dominated by tyres and Lewis Hamilton's collision with George Russell, so there is plenty to discuss after the Qatar Grand Prix. Relentless Verstappen seals hat-trick of titlesLooking back at a weekend packed full of action at the Losail International Circuit, there is only one place to start, and that's with newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen.Not only has he joined an elite club of three-time title winners, but also the extra exclusive group of drivers to have won three in a row. It was largely a case of more of the same from the sport's undisputed top dog as he made light work of limited practice time to take pole in Friday Qualifying.There was a rare blip as he was outpaced by the McLarens in the Sprint Shootout, but he may well have made up for it had three Safety Car interruptions not reduced the time he had to claw his way back in the 19-lap contest later on Saturday.As it was, the fact that his struggling Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez crashed out on lap 11 meant that the title was sealed, regardless of where Verstappen finished. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Max Verstappen says he never dreamt it would be possible to win three world titles, and insists he hasn't thought about how many more he could go on to win Max Verstappen says he never dreamt it would be possible to win three world titles, and insists he hasn't thought about how many more he could go on to win The fact he boldly attempted to chase down victory, before having to settle for second, offered some insight into his burning desire to win on every occasion.He only had to wait 24 hours to quench that thirst for victory, with a typically composed display enabling him to overcome Sunday's tyre madness to cruise to a 14th victory of the season. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Red Bull boss Christian Horner says Verstappen can count himself as one of the 'greats' of the sport after winning his third consecutive world title Red Bull boss Christian Horner says Verstappen can count himself as one of the 'greats' of the sport after winning his third consecutive world title With the title wrapped up with five races to go, two of which are Sprints, Verstappen now has the opportunity to set win and points totals for a season that are likely to stand for a very long time.The Dutchman, who turned 26 a week before sealing the title, insists he isn't overly interested in records, but he's going to have to put up with breaking several of them over the coming weeks.Piastri's breakthrough goes under the radar Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Oscar Piastri holds his nerve to claim his first Sprint win as Max Verstappen finishes second to secure his third world title Oscar Piastri holds his nerve to claim his first Sprint win as Max Verstappen finishes second to secure his third world title The driver to deny Verstappen a perfect weekend was McLaren's Oscar Piastri, as he claimed a maiden F1 Sprint pole and backed it up with a first victory.There were several impressive elements to Australian rookie's Saturday showing, but perhaps most striking was his calmness in the closing stages as Verstappen attempted to chase him down.The 22-year-old backed up the victory by once more finishing ahead of Norris on Sunday as McLaren sealed a second successive double podium behind Verstappen. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Piastri admits to having some nerves as he battled his way to the first Sprint victory of his career in Qatar Piastri admits to having some nerves as he battled his way to the first Sprint victory of his career in Qatar Piastri naturally took a bit of time to get up to speed at the start of his debut campaign, but after starting to