DOHA:Max Verstappen continued his winning ways the day after clinching a third straight Formula One world title when he scored a 14th season victory at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday to move within one of his own records for most top spots in one campaign.
Red Bull's Verstappen dominated ahead of the McLaren duo of Saturday's sprint winner Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in a race where three pit stops were made mandatory because of safety concerns in connection with tyre wear.
The grand prix started with stunning first-turn contact between Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell which ended Hamilton's race while Russell also suffered but worked his way back up to fourth in the end.
Hamilton was furious at first but later accepted that "I don't think George probably had anywhere to go." Verstappen clinched the title with six grands prix to spare when he came second in the sprint on the Lusail International Circuit on Saturday but he showed no signs of slowing down.
The 14th win in 17 races leaves him one shy of the record 15 he achieved last year, and he is expected to better that mark.
With 49 career victories, he also has a chance to go third all-time if he wins all remaining races, moving ahead of Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53).
The ruling body FIA allowed only 18 laps per set of rubbers after tyre maker Pirelli said that inspections of tyres revealed "a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords on many of tyres that were checked." The issue was likely in connection with the high kerbs used at the track.
