Max Verstappen all but sealed a third consecutive F1 World Drivers Championship after stunning showing in Suzuka, the last time around. This made up for the disappointment of failing to win in Singapore and the victory was made all the more sweeter as his team Red Bull sealed the F1 Constructors Championship title.
This was a back-to-back constructors title for Red Bull, showcasing their dominance on the grid and proving that no one produces better cars or devises better strategies than the Austrian outfit.
The podium in Suzuka was completed by Lando Norris, who continued his brilliant season for McLaren and his teammate, Australian racer Oscar Piastri. This continued McLarenβs resurgence in the season and they now look the most likely outfit to challenge or even trouble Red Bull and Max Verstappen for the remainder of the season.
The Asian leg of the F1 calendar will continue, as the action will move to Lusail, on the outskirts of Doha in Qatar. While the weather will be hot, the action could well turn out to be even hotter as the 2023 F1 calendar inches towards its conclusion.
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There is an extremely high chance that Max Verstappen walks out of the Qatar Grand Prix as the 2023 F1 Drivers World Champion, which will mark his third world championship crown in a row. His dominance is now approaching the legendary runs that Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher once embarked upon in their golden heydays.
Verstapen currently has a big lead at the top of the championship and only needs three more points to become the champion once again between now and the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.
If things work out in his favour, he could well be the champion even before the main race gets underway, with points on offer in the sprint race in Lusail. So his coronation will undoubtedly be the main story heading into the Qatar Grand Prix.
McLaren too will be the talk of the town in Qatar, and it will be interesting to see whether they continue to build momentum towards the 2024 season. Though the season is more or less done, the British outfit will take confidence from recent showings and could well emerge as Red Bullβs main contenders in 2024.
Weather Forecast
Expect it to be hot and sultry in Qatar during the whole race weekend. Drivers will especially find it tricky in the heat on Friday, with temperatures reaching the 40 degree mark.
The heat will fall down a bit on Saturday, with temperatures expected to be at a maximum of 36 degrees.
Expect a similar forecast for Sunday with the maximum temperature being 36 degrees. The good thing is there is almost a negligible chance of rain affecting proceedings in any of the three days.
Lusail International Circuit
Built on the outskirts of the national capital, Doha, Lusail International Circuit (also known as the Losail International Circuit) is one of the relatively modern tracks in the F1 calendar. The track was built in 2004 and was mainly used for MotoGP since its inception.
F1 was late to the party when it came to the Losail International circuit, with the first race only happening in 2021. From 2023 onwards, the circuit has come to a 10-year agreement with F1 and will be a feature of the calendar going ahead.
The circuit is 5.4 kilometers long and with it primarily being a motorcycle racing circuit, it is fast in nature, with high-speed flowing corners being a feature of the circuit.
Qatar GP Schedule
The Qatar GP 2023 will be held from October 6th till October 8th, with a sprint race and sprint shootout instead of FP2 and FP3.
Friday, October 6
7 pm – 8 pm: Free Practice 1
10:30 pm – 11:30 pm: Qualifying
Saturday, October 7
6:30 pm – 7:14 pm: Sprint Shootout
11 pm to 12 am: Sprint Race
Sunday, October 8
10:30 pm: Main race
Previous Winner of the Qatar GP
Qatar has only hosted one previous Formula 1 race β back in 2021. Lewis Hamilton was crowned the winner that year, with Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso completing the podium.
The race was not held in 2022 because of the FIFA World Cup which was happening in Qatar that year. The Doha circuit is back on the calendar now for at least 8 more years.
Betting Tips for the Qatar GP
Max Verstappen heads into Qatar as the clear favourite to seal a win and also walk out as a three-time World Champion.
After Verstappen, the bookmakers have respectively placed Lando Norris or McLaren and Sergio Perez of Red Bull as the second and third favourites to seal a win.
Oscar Piastriβs recent run of good results has also brought him in the conversation as a potential race winner.
Find the best Qatar GP betting tips below:
π Max Verstappen to win (1.22)
ποΈ Lando Norris Podium Finish (1.75)
ποΈ Max Verstappen Fastest Lap + Race Winner (1.80)
