"It screwed us:" Safety Car period had major championship consequences for Haas · RaceFans

With 4 rounds to go, the struggle for sixth place within the constructors’ championship regarded set.

Haas, on 46 factors, eyed the menace from RB, 10 factors behind them. They gave little thought to Williams in eight place, a lot much less ninth-placed Alpine, 32 factors behind.

Then got here Brazil, the place a windfall outcome for Alpine greater than tripled their factors haul at a stroke, lifting them to sixth within the standings.

Haas hit again instantly. Nico Hulkenberg’s eighth place in Las Vegas, whereas Alpine failed to attain, restored them to sixth place. His seventh place within the dash race in Losail nudged Haas’s lead as much as three factors.

Safety Car, Losail International Circuit, 2024 — Alpine benefitted from the second Security Automotive interval

Come the grand prix, the struggle for sixth place within the championship was fought out between Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly. The Haas and Alpine drivers held the underside two factors positions after passing Yuki Tsunoda’s RB.

Cautious that Alpine may pull Gasly in for an early pit cease and get him on to contemporary tyres sooner, Haas summoned Magnussen in on after 27 laps for a set of laborious tyres. However even with a helpful pocked of clear air behind Liam Lawson, Magnussen wasn’t fairly capable of match Gasly’s occasions on his more durable tyres. It was going to be shut.

However then a wing mirror fell of Alexander Albon’s Williams and landed on the run to the primary nook. Race management prevented deploying the Security Automotive to start with, however then Valtteri Bottas smashed it into items and two drivers sustained punctures, which compelled their hand.

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With the Security Automotive deployed, each driver who hadn’t modified tyres but headed for the pits. Magnussen was amongst those that suffered essentially the most: Apart from dropping his likelihood to get again forward of Gasly, he additionally fell behind Fernando Alonso and Zhou Guanyu. Though he impressively out-ran the recovering Lando Norris, ninth place to Gasly’s fifth put Alpine forward once more by 5 factors heading into the ultimate spherical.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Losail International Circuit, 2024 — McLaren ignored Security Automotive menace and pitted Piastri

“I’m tremendous gutted with the Security Automotive popping out,” mentioned Magnussen afterwards, “it utterly ruined the day for me. It was going effectively and we had starting to the race, however I simply want that Security Automotive hadn’t come out as a result of it actually screwed us. There’s nonetheless one race to go and we’ll go into it giving every part.”

Haas introduced Magnussen in lengthy earlier than a Security Automotive regarded like an imminent menace. However McLaren’s resolution to tug Oscar Piastri in on lap 34, lengthy after the particles had been noticed, appears like a poor name.

It additionally had implications for the constructors’ title struggle. Piastri efficiently handed Charles Leclerc early within the race, placing each McLarens forward of the Ferraris, which was important for his or her hopes of successful the title. The early pit cease dropped him again behind Leclerc and helped Ferrari preserve their title hopes alive.

2024 Qatar Grand Prix lap chart

The positions of every driver on each lap. Click on identify to spotlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls under:

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2024 Qatar Grand Prix race chart

The gaps between every driver on each lap in comparison with the chief’s common lap time. Very massive gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls under:

2024 Qatar Grand Prix lap occasions

All of the lap occasions by the drivers (in seconds, very gradual laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers utilizing the management under:

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