Decision making in Formula 1 It is as dizzying as the handling of a car in the category. Taking risks with the firm conviction of improving when the results are adverse usually challenges engineers and pilots. Some of this happened in the hours before the Qatar GP Sprint race with the team Williams y Franco Colapinto. The Argentine’s unit was not firm and reliable in qualifying and the problems in the front suspension were the central axis of the problems to be able to close a good session.
The British team decided to change the elements necessary to attempt a rudder change to try to improve the performance of a Williams which is far away in performance and without the updates that Alex Albon has. This forced him to go out to run the Sprint from the pit area with Sergio Perez. Coincidences of destiny. Then Franco had a better start and managed to leave the Mexican behind to position himself at the back of the pack and begin to recover lost ground. It was not easy for 19 laps to advance.
The competition marked a clear dominance of Lando Norris’s McLaren, who defended first position from the beginning with the custody of Oscar Piastri. Both set the clear objective of defending the lead in the constructors’ championship that today has them beating the Ferrari team. The Italian house could not stay in the fight and gave ground to Leclerc and Sainz. George Russell placed himself in the discussion despite not being able to maintain the position with Piastri who, by overtaking him, made a thinking race.
While this was happening in the top positions, behind Franco Colapinto was firm in his pace and was beginning to appear competitive. At the start he had surpassed “Checo” Perez. He then went to find Zhou’s Sauber to gain one more place and go from last place to 18th place. From there heThe race was against Yuki Tsunod. The Argentine attacked the eastern pilot hard and in several passages of the competition he was much firmer than his rival. Despite this, he failed to break Yuki’s defense and had to settle for finishing behind the RB.
The Sprint was coming to an end and in the final part of the race Norris dominated at will. Piastri managed to make a difference over Russell and Sainz surpassed Hamilton in a maneuver that made more than one hold their breath. But the story had a closing chapter. When the McLarens came out onto the straight, Norris picked up the speed and let Oscar Piastri win Saturday’s Sprint in Qatar. A maneuver thinking about the championship points and the Constructors’ Cup points.
The podium was completed by George Russell with the Mercedes Benz while Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari arrived fifth, leaving his teammate, Charles Leclerc in sixth position. Completing the top ten were Lewis Hamilton with the Mercedes Benz in sixth position, Nico Hulkemberg with the Haas finished seventh, and eighth went to Max Verstappen in a blurry work in the sprint. Ninth position went to Pierre Gasly with the RB and tenth position to Kevin Magnussen with the other Haas.
The activity does not stop and now we are thinking about the qualifying session that will organize the starting grid for the final competition on Sunday. The most important race of the weekend and where Franco Colapinto can show something more after good work done in the Sprint race. The changes to the Williams seem to have had an effect and this can be confirmed in the classification. The team worked intensely and now it remains to adjust the details that the data of this competition may have revealed.