Hamilton wins in Qatar, slices into Verstappen points lead

LOSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lewis Hamilton inched closer to the Formula One championship lead with a dominating victory in the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. It was the second consecutive win for Hamilton, who has trimmed 11 points from Max Verstappen’s lead in the title race in a week. Verstappen still holds an eight-point lead with two races remaining in one of the most dramatic F1 title fights in at least a decade. Seven-time champion Hamilton started from pole for Mercedes and was never challenged as he won his 102nd career race. Verstappen was handed a five-place penalty on the starting grid but recovered to finish second.