Round 18 for Formula 1, the Qatar Grand Prix it’s getting closer. Let’s discover some facts about it and make predictions for the podium.
The Grand Prix in Qatar is the 18th race of the 2023 Formula 1 season. From the 6th to the 8th October the drivers will race on the track of Lusail. It’s a GP that could be fundamental for Max Verstappen who could win his third championship this Saturday during the Sprint Race. Discover here facts and predictions about this exciting Grand Prix.
The Lusail track
Built in less than a year and inaugurated in 2004, the Lusail track is 5419 km long, the straight alone is 1068 m of its length. It has one DRS zone and 16 medium and high speed corners. The drivers will have to complete 57 laps before the checkered flag.
The circuit was born to host motorcycle races, but made its debut on the F1 calendar during the 2021 season. That year, due to the COVID pandemic, the Australian GP was cancelled and the Qatar Grand Prix took its place. It will be a part of the F1 world until 2032. This year it will host one of the six Sprint weekends of the season.
Who’s ready for an #F1Sprint in the desert? 🥵#QatarGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Sz94Kds9Gf
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2023
The Hall of Fame
Since it was recently added to the calendar, the Qatar Grand Prix has only one win to its name. During the intense 2021 season, Lewis Hamilton gained his 102nd success in career. Max Verstappen finished 2nd and conquered the point for the fastest lap (1’23”196). Fernando Alonso, in Alpine at the time, was 3rd after 146 Grand Prix without a podium, the longest time ever in F1.
In 2022, there wasn’t a Grand Prix since the country hosted the Football World Cup and decided to focus on the event.
Chasing the world championship
Speaking of the Sprint weekend, it could be a touring point for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver is dominating this season, missing a podium only in Singapore. He’s first in the standings with 400 points. Currently, the second place is for Sergio Perez, his teammate, with a gap from Verstappen of 177 points.
If he happens to win the Formula 1 Sprint race on Saturday, which is highly possible, Verstappen could already win his third World Drivers Championship. This would be another victory for Red Bull Racing, who celebrated the Constructors’ Championship Title last race week in Japan.
CHAMPIONS! 🏆@redbullracing make it back-to-back constructors’ titles!#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/mL8kEpdLNZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 24, 2023
Podium prediction
Considering the track and recent performances, the drivers on the podium at the Qatar Grand Prix could be:
- Max Verstappen: unreachable in his success, the Dutchman is consistent on every track. The Japanese GP proved that the race in Singapore was just a single accident. It’s only natural to add Super Max on the highest step of the podium once again, and this time he could officially be the 2023 World Champion.
- Sergio Perez: even if his season was marked by ups and downs, it’s possible that we’ll see a double podium for Red Bull in Qatar. After all, Sergio Perez and the RB19 have found a way to gain some positions, and he finished on the podium on multiple occasions. If this will be the case this Sunday, the Mexican could join his teammate for the celebrations.
- Lando Norris: the McLaren driver, after a disappointing start of the season, had some good results, the most recent one the p2 in Japan. The whole McLaren team worked hard to improve the MCL60 and the efforts are paying off. The car shows a reliability and a potential to fight for the highest positions. A success in Qatar will definitely prove that McLaren is on the right path right now.
