Max Verstappen signs another feat in the Qatar GP, crushing the competition with textbook strategic management and nibbling away precious points from Lando Norris in the title race. But beyond the championship duel, the Qatari weekend delivered a polarizing array of performances.
Between positive surprises, confirmations, and genuine disappointments, it's time to take stock of what we saw on the track. Here who goes up and who goes down in the Yawclub Fanta F1 odds.
Who goes up after the Qatar GP
Max Verstappen: The lion roars again
When all seemed lost, yet another masterpiece materializes. Victory number 70, the seventh of the season: so far he has won as much as both the McLaren drivers.
The comeback began with a surgical overtake on Norris. When the Safety Car shuffled the cards, Verstappen and Red Bull played their trump card: an alternative strategy to the papayas, a relentless pace, and textbook tire management. The gamble at the pit stop paralyzed McLaren, trapped by their own "Papaya Rules."
The result? A race skinned alive as the Woking pit wall argued with itself. Max seized that opening and squeezed it in as only he knows how.
Voted Driver of the Day, his stock is bound to rise heading into the final round. And in the coming days, we'll carefully evaluate whether or not to field him, even as Max continues to prove himself a master of impossible missions.
New quote: 43 YAW
Oscar Piastri: Regenerated, perhaps too late
Piastri suddenly returned to his early-season form: lightning-fast in qualifying, precise, and uncatchable in both Qatar races. Lusail has historically been one of his favorite tracks, and that was immediately evident in qualifying for the Sprint Race. On a high-speed, high-demand track that rewards courage and where mechanical grip isn't a priority, the MCL39 thrives, and the Australian seems to be completely at home.
The only reason he didn't rack up poles and wins was the team's strategic management, which, with a questionable decision, denied him a win that was within his reach. This is precisely why his second-place finish hurts so much: he had found what he needed—a friendly track and a better feeling with the car—building a flawless weekend after a period of evident crisis.
His season remains an unsolved mystery, but in the meantime: welcome back, even if it's probably too late to really make an impact. For this reason alone, his F1 Fantasy rating is up. Fantasy managers, be careful!
New quote: 38 YAW
Carlos Sainz Jr.: A golden podium (for Williams, 5)
The Madrid native delivered a performance worthy of a true champion. A perfect weekend from Saturday to Sunday: he overtook Russell at the start, masterfully managed increasing understeer towards the end, and took home a double-header podium. The Williams, which normally struggles to compete with the class leaders, became a rocket in his hands. He spent fifty laps at an unsustainable pace, keeping Norris and Antonelli behind, despite a floorboard damage that would have put many others off.
It's the second podium of the season after Baku, a result that rewards the consistency shown in the second half of the championship. The Spaniard continues to score important points and improve every team he sets foot in. Williams returns to the top five after a seven-year drought, an achievement worth celebrating, as James Vowles did.
After a difficult few months competing against Albon, Sainz has reversed the trend and reminded everyone why he's considered one of the most complete drivers on the grid. His stock is only set to rise.
New quote: 13 YAW
Who gets off after the Qatar GP
Nico Hulkenberg: A gamble worth… nothing
The Qatar weekend turned into a nightmare for the German Sauber driver. After a promising start on the soft tires, where he demonstrated pace and competitiveness, his risky overtaking of Gasly cost him dearly. For a driver of his experience, the disappointment of missing out on a result that could have changed the outcome of the constructors' battle weighs heavily.
Hulkenberg's stock can only go down after this devastating zero. We hope to find at least the same Nico as in the points zone in Abu Dhabi, because the sparkling performance we saw at Silverstone seems unrealistic.
New quote: 13 YAW
Ollie Bearman: Innocent Victim
A nightmare Sunday through no fault of his own. After an excellent start from 13th place and a convincing first phase in the points, even holding off Leclerc, the second pit stop on lap 32 turned everything into tragedy. A rear wheel mounting problem kept him stuck in the pits for an eternity, ruining his chances of scoring a sixth consecutive points finish. Adding insult to injury: a 10-second penalty for unsafe release.
The performance remains solid – he extracted the maximum from a car that was not suited to the high speeds of Losail – but the final result is zero points when they seemed within reach.
His odds are inevitably falling, but it could be an opportunity to bet on him in Abu Dhabi. What do you think, is he worth the gamble?
New quote: 16 YAW
Lance Stroll: the debacle
It was a weekend to forget for the Canadian, who finished with a wooden spoon in Qatar. No driver qualified further behind their teammate: 19th on the grid, an embarrassing gap to Alonso, who comfortably finished in the top 10 in every segment of every session.
The Aston Martin driver highlighted his inability to perceive the upper limits of the AMR24. The race was no exception: he made a mistake in pressing the speed limit button in the pit lane, ruining his remaining chances of recovery.
#18's stock is plummeting, and even when his car is scoring points, he continues to take lessons from his teammate. It's difficult to recommend him as an investment to fantasy managers right now.
New quote: 10 YAW
