A lot is on the line this weekend at the Losail International Circuit.
LOSAIL, QATAR: With Max Verstappen clinching his fourth world Formula 1 championship at the last round in Las Vegas, the drivers and their teams now head to the Middle East for two rounds to decide the outcome of the Constructor’s title, which now is a battle among McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.
Round 23 (of 24) will take place this weekend in Qatar. Last season, the race was much publicized for being scheduled too early, which resulted in many of the drivers becoming very overheated due to the climate in that region. This situation resulted in the race being moved to the end of the season, and combined with the season finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend, this simple but understanding circuit will, in addition, hold the final sprint race of the season.
In the battle for the sixth position, three teams–Haas F1, Alpine, and RB–are only a couple of points from each other, which could mean that it might not be this race, but the next one, to decide who will get as much as 50 million dollars for their squad. Currently, the American team holds a one-point lead over the French one, with the Italian unit within striking distance.
As far as the top three, McLaren has held a reasonable charge throughout the middle of the season onwards, and due to the consistent placings of both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the British team has been able to put themselves in front with two rounds left. However, a major challenge comes from Ferrari, which, like McLaren, has consistently placed both drivers in the points. Ferrari is in second place, 24 points behind McLaren, while Verstappen’s Red Bull team is 30 points behind the Scuderia.
For Red Bull, despite their success with Verstappen for the driver’s title, Sergio Perez has had low placings for most of the season. Although there are stories that he could very well be dropped from the team, Perez still has another year on his contract to prove that he can drive with the best.
The practice session begins Friday at 8:30 AM Eastern U.S. time, with a Spring Shootout at 12:30 PM. The Sprint Race and Qualifying sessions are scheduled for Saturday morning (9 AM) and afternoon (1 PM). Sunday’s race will begin at 11 AM.
All events will be telecast on the ESPN collection of channels.
