Max Verstappen adds icing on title cake with victory at Qatar Grand Prix

Max Verstappen followed up securing his fourth world championship by winning a chaotic Qatar Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered another miserable evening in his penultimate Mercedes appearance.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was penalised twice by the stewards and said his car was "broken" as he finished down in 12th spot in a race which saw Verstappen claim a dominant win.

The Dutchman was stripped of pole position in the early hours of Sunday morning after he impeded George Russell in qualifying.

But Verstappen made amends for the sanction by blasting clear of pole-sitter Russell at the opening bend before leading every lap en route to victory.

"I am very happy," said Verstappen after taking his first win in the dry since the Spanish Grand Prix on 23 June.

"It has been a while in the dry to be this competitive. I am very proud of the team to have turned it around."

Lando Norris had been on course to finish runner-up, but he was dealt a severe 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow under waved yellows, dropping him to 10th.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took advantage of Norris’ demise to take second place, six seconds behind Verstappen, and one spot ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. Russell finished fourth.

Pierre Gasly claimed fifth for Alpine with Carlos Sainz sixth for Ferrari. McLaren head to the final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend 21 points clear of Ferrari as the British team chase their first constructors’ championship in 26 years.

Russell started from top spot but fell behind Verstappen and Norris at the opening bend, with Hamilton dropping three places to ninth before the first of three safety car periods after Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto were involved in a three-car pile up.