Adel Taarabt gave QPR chairman Flavio Briatore reason to smile with a wonder strike that helped see off Preston.
Briatore, in the QPR directors' box for the first time since he was thrown out of Formula 1, saw Taarabt curl in from 25 yards to set up a handsome win.
Akos Buzsaky hit the bar before scoring a penalty after Taarabt was fouled.
Jay Simpson sidefooted in off the post to add a third and Routledge added another with a shot from outside the box before sub Rowan Vine hit the bar.
The victory reignites Rangers' promotion bid and provides a welcome distraction from the off-the-field controversy surrounding Briatore.
The Italian remains the subject of the Football League's fit and proper person enquiry.
But he will be pleased with his side's performance - and Rangers may have had even more goals, were it not for the efforts of Andy Lonergan.
The Preston keeper denied Routledge twice in the first half when the winger was clean through.
Preston had their best moments in the opening period, with Radek Cerny saving well from Neil Mellor and Ross Wallace shooting narrowly over.
QPR boss Jim Magilton on midfielder Adel Taarabt:
"He has that in spades - he's a genius. He's a dying breed in the modern game, the way he goes past people, and the finish was pure class.
"That was our best performance since I've been here. We took our opportunities and we were excellent."
Preston boss Alan Irvine rues a missed chance by Chris Brown: "Goals change games. That could have been a key moment. But QPR were the better team overall.
"They've got a lot of good players and I expect them to be challenging, certainly in the top six, this season."
Live text and stats
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Championship
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
QPR
4-0
Preston
FT
(HT 1-0)
Taarabt 11
Buzsaky (pen) 63
Simpson 74
Routledge 85
QPR
24 Cerny
02 Ramage
03 Stewart
13 Gorkss
29 Borrowdale
04 Mahon
07 Routledge (Ainsworth 87)
10 Buzsaky (Agyemang 76)
18 Faurlin
39 Taarabt
23 Simpson (Vine 77)
Substitutes
22 Heaton,
05 Hall,
21 Alberti,
26 Ainsworth,
34 Harris,
08 Vine,
11 Agyemang
Preston
01 Lonergan
02 Hart
05 Mawene
06 Collins
19 Jones
04 Chaplow
07 Sedgwick (Parry 64)
08 Shumulikoski (Carter 65)
25 Wallace
09 Brown (Parkin 65)
33 Mellor
Substitutes
22 Henderson,
14 Chilvers,
27 Nolan,
11 Carter,
17 Parry,
26 Parkin,
29 Elliott
Ref: Russell BoothAtt: 12,810
QPR
PRESTON
Possession
QPR58%
Preston42%
Attempts on target
QPR10
Preston5
Attempts off target
QPR7
Preston4
Corners
QPR3
Preston6
Fouls
QPR11
Preston10
Final Result
Full Time
90:00+3:13 The game is over, as the referee blows his whistle.
90:00+2:42 Unfair challenge on Richard Chaplow by Rowan Vine results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Andy Lonergan.
90:00+0:59 Foul by Ross Wallace on Gavin Mahon, free kick awarded. Gavin Mahon restarts play with the free kick.
89:54 Gavin Mahon challenges Darren Carter unfairly and gives away a free kick. Michael Hart restarts play with the free kick.
89:27 Shot from 12 yards by Rowan Vine.
88:20 Alejandro Faurlin produces a drilled right-footed shot from 25 yards. Comfortable save by Andy Lonergan.
86:13 Radek Cerny restarts play with the free kick.
86:13 Substitution Gareth Ainsworth on for Wayne Routledge.
86:13 Richard Chaplow challenges Alejandro Faurlin unfairly and gives away a free kick.
84:58 GOAL - Wayne Routledge:QPR 4 - 0 Preston Wayne Routledge finds the net with a goal from long range to the bottom right corner of the goal. QPR 4-0 Preston.
83:16 Shot by Alejandro Faurlin from outside the box goes over the net.
81:07 Gavin Mahon concedes a free kick for a foul on Jon Parkin. Darren Carter takes the free kick.
80:44 Chance falls to Rowan Vine who heads at goal, save made by Andy Lonergan.
79:31 Effort on goal by Rowan Vine from 6 yards. Youl Mawene gets a block in.
76:22 Substitution (QPR) makes a substitution, with Rowan Vine coming on for Jay Simpson.
75:59 Substitution Patrick Agyemang is brought on as a substitute for Akos Buzsaky.
73:59 The assist for the goal came from Akos Buzsaky.
73:59 GOAL - Jay Simpson:QPR 3 - 0 Preston Jay Simpson scores a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. QPR 3-0 Preston.
72:02 Corner taken left-footed by Ross Wallace from the left by-line to the near post, clearance made by Alejandro Faurlin.
71:37 Short corner worked by Paul Parry.
71:09 Shot by Neil Mellor. Save by Radek Cerny.
69:51 Akos Buzsaky takes the inswinging corner, Youl Mawene makes a clearance.
66:59 Neill Collins gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Adel Taarabt. Akos Buzsaky has a direct shot on goal from the free kick.
64:26 Substitution Chris Brown leaves the field to be replaced by Jon Parkin.
64:26 Substitution Darren Carter replaces Veliche Shumulikoski.
63:01 Substitution Chris Sedgwick goes off and Paul Parry comes on.
62:07 GOAL - Akos Buzsaky:QPR 2 - 0 Preston Power penalty scored by Akos Buzsaky. QPR 2-0 Preston.
61:31 Penalty awarded for an unfair challenge on Adel Taarabt by Neil Mellor.
60:37 Neil Mellor challenges Alejandro Faurlin unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed by Akos Buzsaky, clearance by Michael Hart.
59:34 Richard Chaplow challenges Adel Taarabt unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed right-footed by Akos Buzsaky, Chris Brown makes a clearance.
58:02 Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Veliche Shumulikoski.
57:51 Drilled right-footed shot by Chris Brown. Save by Radek Cerny.
57:08 Jay Simpson has a drilled shot. Comfortable save by Andy Lonergan.
56:39 Corner taken by Chris Sedgwick from the right by-line.
54:08 Akos Buzsaky concedes a free kick for a foul on Chris Brown. Direct free kick taken by Neill Collins.
52:56 Shot by Richard Chaplow from just outside the area goes over the net.
52:13 Unfair challenge on Chris Sedgwick by Wayne Routledge results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Michael Hart.
50:36 Inswinging corner taken by Akos Buzsaky.
50:19 Gary Borrowdale produces a drilled right-footed shot from 30 yards. Andy Lonergan makes a save.
49:19 Unfair challenge on Youl Mawene by Jay Simpson results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Michael Hart.
48:34 The assistant referee flags for offside against Chris Brown. Radek Cerny takes the direct free kick.
48:06 Unfair challenge on Chris Sedgwick by Gary Borrowdale results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Veliche Shumulikoski.
46:37 Chris Sedgwick concedes a free kick for a foul on Adel Taarabt. Direct free kick taken by Alejandro Faurlin.
45:01 The second half has started.
Half Time
45:00+2:07 It is the end of the first-half.
45:00+1:38 Shot by Billy Jones. Radek Cerny makes a comfortable save.
45:00+0:17 The offside flag is raised against Jay Simpson. Andy Lonergan restarts play with the free kick.
44:36 Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Veliche Shumulikoski, Alejandro Faurlin makes a clearance.
41:34 Neil Mellor produces a volleyed right-footed shot from 12 yards. Blocked by Damion Stewart.
40:30 Akos Buzsaky takes a long range shot clearing the bar.
38:05 Corner from the right by-line taken by Ross Wallace, Kaspars Gorkss manages to make a clearance.
37:28 Effort by Akos Buzsaky from a long way out goes over the crossbar.
37:09 Shot by Wayne Routledge. Save by Andy Lonergan.
35:41 Shot from deep inside the area by Ross Wallace clears the crossbar.
34:22 Unfair challenge on Damion Stewart by Neil Mellor results in a free kick. Damion Stewart takes the direct free kick.
31:49 Neil Mellor has an effort at goal. Radek Cerny makes a comfortable save.
29:07 Unfair challenge on Billy Jones by Akos Buzsaky results in a free kick. Ross Wallace produces a cross, Neil Mellor has a drilled shot. Damion Stewart gets a block in.
24:55 Foul by Veliche Shumulikoski on Wayne Routledge, free kick awarded. Alejandro Faurlin restarts play with the free kick.
21:54 Effort from outside the penalty box by Adel Taarabt goes wide right of the goal.
16:37 Free kick awarded for a foul by Gavin Mahon on Richard Chaplow. Neill Collins takes the direct free kick.
15:49 The assistant referee signals for offside against Neil Mellor. Kaspars Gorkss restarts play with the free kick.
13:55 Jay Simpson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Neill Collins. Free kick taken by Andy Lonergan.
13:15 Corner taken by Akos Buzsaky, comfortable save by Andy Lonergan.
13:03 Shot from 6 yards by Wayne Routledge. Save by Andy Lonergan.
10:09 GOAL - Adel Taarabt:QPR 1 - 0 Preston Adel Taarabt scores a goal from outside the penalty box to the top right corner of the goal. QPR 1-0 Preston.
8:45 Foul by Richard Chaplow on Wayne Routledge, free kick awarded. Damion Stewart restarts play with the free kick.
8:02 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Billy Jones by Gavin Mahon. Billy Jones restarts play with the free kick.
6:27 Chris Brown takes a shot from deep inside the box clearing the bar.
2:16 Wayne Routledge produces a right-footed shot from long range which goes wide right of the target.
0:00 The ref blows the whistle to begin the match.
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