Key events
Preamble
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen may already be our 2024 Formula One champion but the fight for second in the drivers’ standings and top honors in the constructors’ standings is still very much alive in the second to last race of the season.
Mercedes’ George Russell will start from pole position in Qatar after Verstappen was given a one-place grid penalty for impediment during qualifying. In the final laps of qualifying, Verstappen slowed in the third sector, forcing Russell onto gravel.
Verstappen’s alleged offence was “driving unnecessarily slowly” and after Russell gave his version of events, a decision was communicated more than three hours after the end of the session.
It wouldn’t be F1 without drama, right?
Verstappen’s points tally is 404 points. McLaren’s Lando Norris is second with 347 points and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 323 points.
For constructors, McLaren leads with 623 points. Ferrari is second with 593 points and Red Bull is third with 556 points.
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