Gallery: Lewis Hamilton's Win for Mercedes at the Inaugural F1 Qatar Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso also shines with first podium since 2014.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton tightened the gap on Red Bull's Max Verstappen with the win at the inaugural F1 Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday at Doha, Qatar.
Hamilton won easily from the pole. He was never passed, never trailed, and ultimately won by a margin of 25.7 seconds over Verstappen, who did pit late for tires in a successful effort to gain the bonus point for fastest lap.
Alpine's Fernando Alonso finished third, 59.4 seconds back. He was the only other driver to finish with one minute of the lead. The podium finish for Alonso was the two-time champion's first since Hungary in 2014—a span of 104 races.
Hamilton trails Verstappen by just eight points in the standings with two races remaining.
"I look forward to seeing the replay to see what happened behind me," Hamilton said.
Here's some of the action from Qatar:
Hamilton Wins
Lewis Hamilton gives the thumbs up for his 102nd career F1 victory.
Back on the Podium
Alpine's Fernando Alonso, right, celebrates his first Formula 1 podium since Hungary in 2014.
Still the Leader
Max Verstappen finished second but scored the fastest lap to leave Qatar with an eight-point lead in the championship.
Blast From the Past
Fernando Alonso reached the podium for the first time in 104 races.
No Traffic in the Mirror
Lewis Hamilton had quite the Sunday drive in Qatar. Only two challengers were within one minute of the leader at the finish.
Taking the Checkered Flag
Lewis Hamilton wins his second consecutive race and 102nd of his career.
Two Stops are Enough
Lewis Hamilton won on Sunday with a two-stop strategy.
Damage Control
Max Verstappen started seventh after taking a five-place grid penalty for a yellow-flag violation on Saturday. He went on to finish second and scored the fastest-lap bonus point.
Tough Day for Bottas
Valterri Bottas got shuffled back to 11th at the start and was closing in on a possible spot on the podium before his Mercedes suffered a tire puncture. Chassis damage later sent him to the sidelines early.
Alonso's Triumph
Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alsonso celebrates his third place finish in Qatar.
Good Day for Alpine
Fernando Alonso, pictured, and Esteban Ocon finished thrid and fifth, respectively, at Qatar.
Still the Leader
Max Verstappen finished second in Qatar and leads Lewis Hamilton by eight points with two races remaining. The second has stops remaining at Saudi Arabia (Dec. 5) and Abu Dhabi (Dec. 12).
Good Day for Red Bull
Sergio Perez finished fourth as Red Bull closed the gap in the F1 Constructors' Championship standings. Mercedes left Qatar with a razor-thin lead of just five points in the team competition.
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