- Verstappen recovers to finish second despite grid penalty
- Red Bull driver leads by eight points with two races to go
Lewis Hamilton won the debut Qatar Grand Prix with a dominant, controlled run from pole to flag. He beat his title rival Max Verstappen into second, with the Red Bull driver making a very good recovery having started from seventh after he was given a grid penalty shortly before the race.
The win means Hamilton now trails Verstappen by only eight points with two races remaining. Alpine’s Fernando Alonso delivered a superb third, his first podium for 104 races, with his teammate Esteban Ocon in fifth and Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez in fourth.