Memorable F1 moments from the Qatar Grand Prix

Despite only being on the Formula One circuit since 2021, the Qatar Grand Prix has treated us to a host of memorable F1 moments - and we're revisiting the very best of them.

From Turn 1 chaos to World Championship winning races, the Lusail International Circuit has seen its fair share of drama, and is sure to do so in the coming seasons too, with its place on the F1 calendar confirmed for many years to come.

So without further ado, let's dive into a handful of the Qatar Grand Prix's most memorable F1 moments.

The drama of 2023's Qatar Grand Prix wasted absolutely no time in coming to the fore, with Turn 1 delivering a crash between Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell - with the former's race being ended before it had even begun.

Starting from P2 and P3, the two Mercedes men would've fancied their chances of taking the chequered flag in Lusail, but as soon as Hamilton tried to go round the outside of his teammate mere seconds after the lights went out, the plan fell apart. Contact left the seven-time world champion - also the second-youngest F1 World Champion of all time - a wheel short, spinning off into the gravel with no hope of even attempting to get back into the race.

Russell's race wasn't stopped, with the Brit fighting back to finish fourth, but he was extremely frustrated by the collision all the same.

With two World Championship titles already under his belt, Max Verstappen took the entire 2023 season by storm, smashing his own F1 record for the most points in a single season - and it all culminated in a celebratory evening at the Qatar Grand Prix.

His crown was secured with a second-place finish in the Sprint, finishing only behind Oscar Piastri (who was celebrating his first-ever win) - and this was promptly followed up by Verstappen winning the main event a day later. An almost five-second gap to Piastri in Sunday's race saw Verstappen prove exactly why he won the world title at a canter, eventually finishing 290 points ahead of his closest competitor.

The triumph saw him join Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton in the exclusive club of winning three straight F1 World Championships.

Following a sporting moment at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Oscar Piastri allowed Lando Norris through to win the F1 Sprint, Norris had had it in his mind to return the favour to his teammate - and the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix is when he got the chance.

Norris had led the Sprint from start to finish in Lusail, but having already seen Max Verstappen claim the world title in Las Vegas during the previous race, he allowed his Aussie teammate through right at the end to gift him the victory - with McLaren picking up a crucial 1-2 in the process. Norris didn't receive much good karma from his act of kindness, however, only scraping into the points in the main Grand Prix.

He also came out after the race and made it clear that swapping in the Sprint was his decision, with McLaren apparently instructing him not to do it!

Closing out our look at the most memorable F1 moments from the Qatar Grand Prix, we're revisiting another chaotic crash at the very first corner, as three drivers spin out after an eye-catching collision - which forced two drivers into an early finish.

Amongst the cluster of drivers racing away off the starting grid, Nico Hulkenberg lost control of his rear end for a second, which caused a hefty collision with the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, forcing his pink car to jolt to the left. This movement then caused him to collide with the unfortunate Franco Colapinto's Williams - in what was Williams' 16th crash of the season.

Ironically, the driver most at fault for the collision (Hulkenberg) was the one whose car survived, with both Ocon and Colapinto having their races ended before a single lap had even been completed.

That wraps up our look at the most memorable F1 moments from the Qatar Grand Prix. Discover more Formula One content with Ladbrokes, from season predictions and a look at F1 records, to a complete F1 schedule and our unique 'memorable F1 moments' series.

View the latest Formula One odds.

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.