Max Verstappen secured the 63rd victory of his Formula 1 career in Qatar. While foreign media describe the Dutchman’s latest triumph in glowing terms, the focus in the newspapers is primarily on the ongoing title fight between Ferrari and McLaren.
There is a sense of relief, particularly in the foreign media in Italy, as ‘their’ Ferrari still has a chance at the constructors’ title after the race in Qatar. “Ferrari reopens the world championship,” even headlines La Gazzetta dello Sport. The sports newspaper only briefly mentions Verstappen’s victory.
“The most important news for Ferrari is that the constructors’ championship is back open, as McLaren now has ‘only’ a 21-point lead and everything will be decided in Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris’ penalty when he was in second place cost the Woking team valuable points, as the Brit finished tenth,” La Gazzetta is therefore eagerly looking forward to the title finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Duel is Historic
In neighbouring France, the ongoing duel between McLaren and Ferrari also dominates the newspapers. “It will all come down to Ferrari and McLaren, two legendary teams,” writes the French L’Équipe. The French newspaper even delves into history for a moment.
“The duel is historic. It resonates in the memories of the oldest among us as a reminder that the greats never die,” the French medium continues. “Watching this battle between Ferrari and McLaren inevitably evokes grand memories of battles such as those between Niki Lauda and James Hunt (1976), Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen (1998 and 1999), and between Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa (2007 and 2008).
Marked by Controversy and Potential Danger
Across the channel, the British media primarily focus on the numerous controversies that occurred during the weekend in Qatar. “Without a doubt, Max Verstappen drove a beautiful race to victory during the Qatar Grand Prix, but this dead rubber in the desert will echo long after the anthems have faded into the night,” writes The Guardian.
According to the journalist on duty, the race weekend was characterized by “controversy and potential danger, which put recent decisions by the governing body of Formula 1, the FIA, sharply in the spotlight.” Nonetheless, it did not prevent Verstappen from claiming his 63rd victory, although he was “constantly chased by an attacking Lando Norris, until the Brit received a penalty that took him out of the race.”
First Victory on Dry Asphalt Since Spain
The foreign media of our southern neighbors mainly praise Verstappen’s victory, which, after clinching the title in Las Vegas, dealt another blow to competitor Lando Norris. “The world title was already in the bag, but Max Verstappen impressively dominated the Qatar Grand Prix,” begins the Belgian HLN. “In the setting where he celebrated his third title last year, he now achieved his ninth victory of 2024. His first win on dry asphalt since the Spanish GP, before the summer break.”
However, the journalist at HLN also noticed that it was a painful Sunday for McLaren, following Norris’s penalty. “For a long time, there seemed to be no cloud on the horizon for McLaren, which could theoretically become the world champion among the constructors in Qatar for the first time since 1998. A great sprint race with a one-two finish, and in the main race, Norris kept up with Verstappen. But that late penalty in the race caused (Norris, ed.) a great deal of pain,” concludes the Belgian newspaper.
