On the weekend when Max Verstappen won his third world title, equaling names like Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda, even the two McLaren they took the stage with a record that will remain in history. Let us therefore discover all the most curious statistics from the Qatar GP, team by team.
Red Bull: Verstappen breaks two historic records
- The records of Verstappen they start already on Friday, when they reach altitude in qualifying 10 pole positions in the season, equaling his own 2021 record and catching Nico Rosberg ranked eighth all-time with 30 starts at the post.
- On the other side of the garage, the weekend doesn't start as well. Perez is eliminated in Q2, as already happened two years ago in Qatar (and several times this year).
- On Saturday, Verstappen conquers his third consecutive title, becoming the fifth driver in history to do so afterwards Fangio, Schumacher, Vettel and Hamilton.
- The world championship victory in the sprint allows Verstappen to graduate champion with six races remaining (including the Sunday one in Qatar), equaling the record of Schumacher of the 2002.
- Verstappen he is also the first pilot a win the title on Saturday from 1983, when his “father-in-law” Nelson Pique he became champion.
- Closing with the statistics regarding the sprint, Verstappen he is one of three pilots to have gone in points in every sprint of the season, together with Russell e Sainz.
- Then on Sunday Verstappen won his 14th consecutive race from pole: Such a long streak had never been seen before in history.
- Verstappen breaks another decade-old record. With 769 rpm in command in 2023, Verstappen already has destroyed the record set by Vettel in 2011 (739).
- Verstappen boasts at least one victory in 24 different circuits. In front of him there is only Hamilton at altitude 31.
- Verstappen has a advantage on Perez's 209 points. The all-time record belongs to Vettel (155 points over Alonso in 2013). At the end of the season, Max will probably break another record.
- Verstappen scored the tenth hat-trick of his career (pole, victory and fastest lap), surpassing Fangio's total and moving up to fourth place all time. In front of him, Clark (11), Hamilton (19) and Schumacher (22).
- Verstappen also recorded his fourth grand chelem (hat-trick + all laps led) in his career, joining the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart and Nigel Mansell in fourth place all-time. In front of him, only Schumacher and Ascari (5), Hamilton (6) and Clark (8). Furthermore, Dutch is the third driver in history to score a grand chelem on the weekend in which he won the title after Ascari and Clark.
McLaren: a Qatar GP to remember
- The weekend doesn't start off in the best way Norris. On Friday, after seeing both laps in Q3 canceled (which would have taken him to second place), the Englishman qualified tenth. It's about his worst result since Monaco, 11 races ago.
- On Saturday, however, the situation begins to improve quite a bit. Piastres continues to impress: with the victory in the sprint, the Australian becomes the first non-Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull driver to win from pole position in the hybrid era.
- Strange coincidence: McLaren's final 1-2s on the grid then led to a Red Bull driver's third title. In the sprint shootout, Piastri and Norris formed an all-McLaren front row; in the sprint, then, Verstappen became champion for the third time. The previous one-two on the grid for McLaren is dated Brazil 2012, when Vettel then won the third of his four world titles.
- Both in the sprint and in the race, the third place for Norris and its first podium of the season and immense coincides with the according to place.
- The second one pit stop of Norris was the fastest in history of Formula 1: 1.80s! Red Bull's record (1.82s) which had stood for four years was broken.
- Second and third place in Japan, second and third place in Qatar. McLaren wasn't winning two consecutive double podiums from 2010 (Canada and European GP).
- Both McLarens are matches outside the top 5 and they conquered a double podium for the first time since the GP of Japan 2003.
- McLaren has conquered the podium number 500 (and 501) in the team's history: only Ferrari has more (803).
- With 47 points get marked between Saturday and Sunday, this was the most prolific weekend in history for McLaren. Furthermore, in two days the Woking team conquered one point more than Aston Martin in the last six races.
Mercedes: mixed statistics for Hamilton in the Qatar GP
- In qualifying, Hamilton come back in top 3 for the first time since the Belgian GP, which coincidentally was the last sprint weekend.
- On Saturday, Hamilton gets his first top 5 of the season in the sprint.
- Hamilton yes retired on the first lap for the sixth time in his career e at the first corner for the second time in his career after the GP of Belgium 2012.
- Despite retiring on the first lap in Sunday's race, Hamilton ended the weekend with more points than Perez, his rival for the vice champion title.
Ferrari: Sainz lame before the start
- Il fifth place in qualification of Leclerc and its worst result since the Dutch GP (P9).
- However, the Monegasque did better than his teammate Sainz, eliminated in Q2 for the second time this season after the GP of Canada.
- Except for the inaugural sprint a Baku, Leclerc was beaten by Sainz in the other 3 seasonal sprints.
- Fifth at the finish line on Sunday, Leclerc he closed the last four races in the top 5 ma without conquer not even one podium.
- A problem with his SF-23 prevented Sainz to compete in the Grand Prix. By doing so, everyone the last four Ferrari drivers have suffered a DNS (did not start): before Sainz, it had happened to Leclerc a Monaco since 2021, Raikkonen in Malaysia since 2017 and Hag in Bahrain since 2016.
Aston Martin: not very reassuring statistics also in the Qatar GP
- Alonso he qualified in fourth position for the Sunday race. The Spanish makes so top 4 on the grid for the first time since the GP of Canada.
- In the same session, his teammate Stroll was eliminated in Q1 for the fourth race in a row.
Alpine: everything perfectly balanced
- With Ocon on points, the two Alpine pilots now they have it same number of podiums (1) and points finishes (9) in the season.
Williams: also in the Qatar GP, Albon brings good statistics
- With seventh place on Saturday, Albon he scored i first points for Williams in a sprint.
Alfa Romeo: the best weekend of the year
- The Hinwil team's weekend starts off on the right foot already on Friday: ninth in qualifying, Bottas conquer the third Q3 of the season after Miami and Budapest.
- On the other side of the garage, however, Zhou suffers his sixth consecutive Q1 exit.
- Then on Sunday, Bottas finished eighth and Zhou ninth. For the first time in 2023 both Alfa Romeos score points in the same race.
- With 6 points, weekend of Qatar was the most prolific of the season for Alfa Romeo.
Haas: Magnussen as Brundle
- Leading no lead laps, Magnussen equals Martin Brundle like the pilot with most races run without a lap led (158).
AlphaTauri: negative statistics in the Qatar GP
- Retired in the sprint, Lawson he recorded his first DNF in career.
