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Qatar GP
F1 Qatar GP Live Commentary and Updates - race day
Minute-by-minute updates for the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail
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Pit stop
Verstappen comes into the pits at the end of lap 41, ditching the hard tyres to pick up a set of mediums.
Tsunoda, on those fresh hards, gets by Latifi to take 15th place around the outside at Turn 1.
Quote
"Slowly, a little more vibrations," Verstappen reports.
Given what has just happened to Bottas and Pirelli's pre-race forecasts about tyre stints and strategies, there could be some nervous teams come the final laps of this race. Bottas is up to 13th, four seconds behind Ricciardo.
Hamilton's lead over Verstappen has grown to 8.4s, and is almost a minute up the road from Perez.
Pit stop
The AlphaTauri duo make their second pitstops on consecutive laps, Tsunoda coming in first to rejoin in 16th and then Gasly who is back out in 11th place.
Pit stop
Gasly, who'd shuffled out in fifth following his early stop, makes the call for a second stop. A new set of mediums for the AlphaTauri driver.
Bottas leaves the pits and comes out in 14th place, right in front of Russell, so his chances of a strong result are gone.
Pit stop
Sparks everywhere on that Mercedes, which finally makes it into the pits - Bottas' long stint gamble hasn't paid off at all! New front wing and hard tyres for the Finn.
Off track
Bottas has a puncture! He's gone off-track, as his left front is gone!
Stopwatch
It's a 1m26.470s for Hamilton, so there's still time in his pocket. That brings the gap back to Verstappen over the 7s threshold.
Pit stop
Mazepin makes his first pitstop to trade his mediums for softs.
Pit stop
Raikkonen is the first of the two-stoppers to pit again, ditching his mediums for hards to take him to the end, as the Finn comes out in 20th place. Still no retirements from this race.
Ricciardo has lost places to both Vettel and Giovinazzi and is P16 but, so far, it isn't too clear how that happened.
Stopwatch
Verstappen posts a 1m26.587s as part of his 'bit of fun', as he tries to close the gap down to Hamilton.
Perez and Alonso now go wheel-to-wheel and, although Alonso tries to defend, the Red Bull eventually dives through at Turn 3. Good racing from the veteran pair.
The only drivers yet to pit in this race are Bottas in third and Mazepin in 19th. Given their respective races, that is where the similarities begin and end.
Quote
"Let's have a bit of fun, we're going to be second anyway," Verstappen says, wanting to go hell for leather. He gets the go-ahead.
Pit stop
Sainz pits from fourth after a spate of radio issues, and Leclerc also stops in a double-stack move at Ferrari. Good pair of stops, however.
Leclerc, in a battle with Alonso and Perez, locks up at the start of lap 27, which lets Alonso slip through into fifth. Perez eventually gets through, despite a stern defence from the Ferrari driver.
Pit stop
Ricciardo and Vettel pit together at the end of lap 26. The McLaren driver comes out in P15 with Vettel in P16.
Pit stop
Norris pits from fourth, and takes on the hard tyre to rejoin in 11th behind Gasly.
Stopwatch
That is indeed a response - a 1m26.996 for Hamilton this time at the end of lap 25.
Perez, again taking the inside route at Turn 1, overtakes Ricciardo for eighth place with a helpful dose of DRS. He now has Alonso in his sights ahead.
Stopwatch
Verstappen finds a 1m27.079s to close up slightly on Hamilton - but Hamilton is responding.
Third-place man Alonso pits, collecting the hard tyre. He rejoins ahead of Ricciardo - and, crucially, Perez.
Bottas now dispatches Norris at the start of lap 23, diving past with DRS, and moves up to fourth.
A lap later Perez tries the inside line at the first corner to fly by Vettel for 11th place.
Stopwatch
A 1m27.145s for Hamilton now - Verstappen was on quite a quick lap of a 1m27.3s, but the Mercedes is just quicker.
Perez angles for the outside line against Vettel at Turn 1 but the Aston Martin driver slams the door at the corner exit to keep the Mexican in 12th.
Bottas, meanwhile, seems to be attempting a one-stop - he's currently in fifth sitting behind Norris, who is yet to stop too.
Perez returns to the action down in 12th, behind Vettel, Ricciardo, Leclerc and Stroll, who all need to stop soon. That traffic could play into the hands of Bottas who is going longer in his first stint.
Stopwatch
Hamilton does a 1m27.495s on his hard tyre, extending his advantage as of lap 19 to 8.6s.
Pit stop
Perez pits from fourth, coming in for the hard tyre.
Quote
"It's definitely way too early to stop," Hamilton says. "You've got pace in hand," Bono replies, seeking to gee up his driver.
Pit stop
Russell has also pitted handing over his mediums for a set of fresh hard tyres.
Pit stop
Mercedes responds and brings in Hamilton who takes on the hard tyre himself, despite asking not to stop early.
Pit stop
Verstappen pits, taking the hard tyre. That's quite early, as the Red Bull emerges ahead of Alonso.
In among the Hamilton fast laps, Perez has passed Norris for fourth. Bottas has also cleared Ocon.
Pit stop
Giovinazzi the next to pit so that's both Alfa Romeos and both AlphaTauris having been down pitlane in this race. The two-by-two pitting formation is pleasing.
By: Autosport Staff
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