Formula 1: third title expected for Max Verstappen in Qatar

Author of an almost perfect season, Max Verstappen should win his third consecutive world title this weekend during the Qatar Grand Prix, 17th round of the F1 season contested at Lusail, where the Dutchman could be crowned in the sprint race, SATURDAY. The Dutchman, whose Red Bull team has already won the constructors' title at the Japanese Grand Prix on September 24, has so far 13 victories, including a record ten in a row, in 16 races and is 177 points ahead of his Mexican teammate Sergio Pérez with 180 points remaining at stake between now and the end of the season.

Barring disaster, the Dutchman will therefore leave the emirate with a third crown in his pocket: to postpone the deadline, Pérez is condemned to a flawless performance on Saturday during the sprint and Sunday during the Grand Prix, two races which will be contested at night , combined with a big poor performance from the reigning double world champion. A combination of circumstances which seems very improbable as the Dutchman is regular at the wheel of the RB19. “It’s good to come to Qatar with the constructors’ title already in hand. The circuit is very pleasant here but it will be a difficult weekend due to the heat, which could make the races interesting. I can win the championship in the sprint and that is my goal. I hope it will be a weekend that I will remember for a long time!” said Verstappen.

For the second edition of the Qatar GP, after the inaugural round won in 2021 by Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Red Bull will be the clear favorite as its RB19 car is superior to its competitors. Pérez, disappointing for several months and under pressure, will also have the mission of containing Hamilton's return to the race for runner-up because the Briton is back to 33 lengths. And his team is also aiming for second place in the constructors' standings, so the two Silver Arrows will arrive in Qatar highly motivated.

“The first GP here was a success for us, so we can't wait to come back and repeat this kind of performance. There have been changes on and off the circuit since then. The key will be to fully understand the consequences of the resurfacing and to find the right settings during free practice,” explained Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss. With the sprint race, the usual format of the weekend will in fact be turned upside down since the teams will only have one practice session on Friday afternoon to tame a circuit that they know little about. The second run on Friday evening will in fact be qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix, while Saturday will be marked by qualifying for the sprint and then the sprint race.

McLaren, back at the forefront for three months and which remains on a double podium at Suzuka with the second and third places of the Briton Lando Norris and the Australian Oscar Piastri, will once again be one of Red Bull's main competitors. Three weeks after the unexpected success of Spaniard Carlos Sainz in Singapore, Ferrari, back to just 20 points behind Mercedes in the constructors' standings, is approaching this race in Qatar with caution. “On paper, the Lusail circuit promises to be a difficult test for our car. Since the Zandvoort GP at the end of August, we have learned a lot about the best way to manage our car,” underlined Scuderia boss Fréderic Vasseur.

Alpine, which placed its two cars in the points in Japan (9th and 10th) despite disappointing qualifications, will try to continue its recovery in Qatar, where Esteban Ocon took a good fifth place in 2021. “Our objective must be to continue to score the maximum number of points within our reach. This week we have two opportunities to do that with the sprint on Saturday. Our pace over a lap is an area in which we must progress, as has been seen recently,” pointed out the director of the French team, Bruno Famin. The high temperatures, with around 35 degrees in the evening but with a feeling well above 40, the lack of knowledge of the new coating and the changing grip due to the presence or absence of sand could however reshuffle the cards.