As the Formula 1 season took us to Qatar for the very first time, the intrigue couldn’t have been higher following the drama of the previous weekend’s racing.It is safe to say that sparks were flying throughout the 57 laps, and in some cases, we mean that very literally.As always in F1, the tyres were a huge talking point. Could drivers manipulate their way around the Losail Circuit with only one pit-stop or would their tyres give up on them, ruining the plans in place?When it came to Valtteri Bottas, we got our answer on lap 33.The Mercedes man looked to be racing comfortably in third place with just his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ahead of him.All of a sudden, “I have a puncture,” was heard on the Finn’s radio and it became evident very quickly.Bottas went off the track on the following corner, straight into the gravel, and as he re-entered the track, along with the gravel he brought with him, the aforementioned sparks began to fly.
Sergio Perez’s Red Bull passed him into third as he went wide once more and when it was Fernando Alonso’s turn to overtake the Mercedes man, F1 fans were treated to incredible shots whilst witnessing the drama.
Views from Alonso’s cockpit weren’t too dissimilar from whatever the latest CGI blockbuster is and sparks can be seen flying straight over and around the Spanish driver and his car.
Alonso was left to overtake Bottas with his vision impaired and whilst juggling being hit by these sparks, but he managed to do so successfully.
Following this, Alonso managed to execute his strategy perfectly, stopping only once the whole race and preventing Perez and his Red Bull from getting on the podium.
It was an emotional finish for the Spaniard, who exclaimed: “Finally we got it, I’m so happy for the team.”
It was the first time the two-time champion has finished on the podium for seven years, having to wait since 2014 to get his 98th top-three finish.