Max Verstappen was the race winner in an eventful Qatar Grand Prix as the Red Bull driver took victory.

Red Bull’s Dutch driver had received a controversial one place grid penalty that had denied him pole, but bounced back to take the lead on lap one and win in a race that saw multiple rivals afflicted by penalties.

Team mate Sergio Perez meanwhile was unable to finish, with the Mexican spinning out during the second of the race’s three safety cars.

The result means that despite winning, Red Bull are now eliminated from winning the Constructor’s Championship, with the team no longer able to catch leaders McLaren. The Milton Keynes-based Red Bull team are now 59 points behind Woking-based McLaren with a maximum of 44 points available at the final race in Abu Dhabi.

While they can still finish ahead of second place Ferrari, who are 38 ahead, it would likely require a disaster for the Italian team in the season finale.

Red Bull’s two drivers are also mathematically guaranteed of their positions in the final table for 2024, with Verstappen now up to 429 points and 80 clear of the rest after sealing the world championship in Las Vegas last time out, while Perez can no longer finish higher or lower than 8th.

The race had already begun with some controversy, with Verstappen handed a one place grid penalty from first to second after he was deemed to have held up George Russell in qualifying. Verstappen has since criticised Russell in the media in his post-race press conference.

When the race began, Verstappen was able to fly past Russell off the line to take the lead into turn one, with Lando Norris following him in the McLaren before a first lap safety car after a collision took out Esteban Ocon and Franco Colapinto at the back.

Much of the first two thirds of the race came in a holding pattern, with Verstappen leading and Perez up into 6th after starting 8th but having a good start.

Things then changed on lap 30, when a wing-mirror fell off Alex Albon’s Williams. It would stay on track for four laps before being struck by Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber, sending fragments all over the track that gave Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz punctures and triggered a safety car.

While yellow flags were out between the mirror falling off and Bottas striking it, Verstappen reported Norris had sped up in the zone. Norris would duly earn a stop/go penalty, which he was forced to serve and saw him drop out of contention to challenge for a win.

That opened the door for Verstappen to manage the race, taking with it a second win in three races and lead home Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri to the podium.

Perez by contrast had been unable to finish. During the puncture-caused safety car, Perez span and then suffered a potential mechanical issue, seeing him limp out of the race.

The season will conclude in Abu Dhabi next week, with Verstappen aiming for a tenth win of the season and Perez aiming to end a difficult season on a high amid rumours it could be his last race for the team.