A brand new champion might be topped – Owen Bellwood
The Qatar Grand Prix is the penultimate race of the season and whereas the constructors’ championship has been wrapped up by a dominant McLaren, the drivers’ title remains to be all to play for.
Lando Norris leads, however simply 24 factors again is team-mate Oscar Piastri and Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen. Whereas a 24-point deficit has been rotated earlier than, with Sebastian Vettel managing the same feat as lately as 2010, Norris can wrap up the title this weekend. The Briton solely must outscore Piastri and Verstappen by two factors over the course of the weekend, which additionally incorporates a dash race on Saturday.
A podium on Sunday would virtually assure the Mclaren driver a primary world title, supplied it’s backed up by a powerful outcome within the dash. Likewise, Piastri and Verstappen will each be chasing a race win to be able to hold their very own title hopes alive. It’s all coming all the way down to the wire.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photographs
Will Piastri lastly bounce again? – Oleg Karpov
It’s been a difficult couple of months for Oscar Piastri. The Australian, who appeared like a driver with virtually no weaknesses for many of this 12 months’s marketing campaign, has immediately fallen from the highest of the championship standings. A number of errors – together with errors in each qualifying and the race in Baku, plus one other within the Sao Paulo dash – mixed with troublesome weekends at some tracks, led to him dropping the lead in Mexico. He then slipped additional behind in Brazil and would have been 30 factors adrift of Lando Norris had McLaren handed post-race inspection in Las Vegas.
Mockingly, the Vegas disqualification even labored in Piastri’s favour. Sure, he’s now degree on factors with Max Verstappen – however the weekend in Sin Metropolis marked the primary time Piastri didn’t lose floor to Norris since… Zandvoort!
Qatar might supply Piastri an opportunity to lastly reverse the development. Lusail was the venue of his first F1 victory, in any case, even when it got here within the dash. Can he rebuild his confidence this weekend?
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Picture by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Photographs
Will Purple Bull be the quickest automotive once more? – Ronald Vording
Forward of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Andrea Stella stated there could be two tracks arising the place McLaren ought to be notably sturdy: Interlagos and the Lusail Worldwide Circuit. The observe in Qatar options a number of medium-speed corners, is especially robust on tyres, and has few heavy braking zones.
All of that ought to go well with the MCL39, however when these feedback have been put to Purple Bull advisor Helmut Marko within the Las Vegas paddock, the Austrian laughed: “Each week I hear that we’re heading to a McLaren observe, however Max has already gained fairly some races after the summer season break…” He’s proper – and on high of that, Verstappen was victorious in Qatar final 12 months.
The important thing query is whether or not Purple Bull manages to get the RB21 into its working window. But when it succeeds, the automotive ought to not less than be aggressive after the profitable upgrades within the second half of the season. McLaren nonetheless holds a tyre benefit in excessive temperatures, however it stays to be seen how a lot that’s truly value with Pirelli’s most stint size.
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photographs
Mercedes near securing P2 in constructors – Oleg Karpov
The battle for second place within the constructors’ championship might be determined in Qatar. McLaren’s disqualification handed Mercedes a double podium in Las Vegas, delivering a big haul of factors.
Toto Wolff’s staff now seems near locking down P2, with its primary rivals struggling to mount constant challenges. Although Purple Bull has gained 4 races for the reason that summer season break, it stays successfully a one-car operation, with Yuki Tsunoda unable to seek out the velocity or consistency when it issues. And Ferrari… properly, their latest kind speaks for itself. So, no want to speak much more about it.
In Qatar, Mercedes solely must outscore Purple Bull by 4 factors – assuming Ferrari does nothing extraordinary both – for the staff to safe second place and finish the season on a optimistic observe. Including to Wolff’s optimism is Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s latest kind: the Italian has lastly began to point out his potential, taking two consecutive podiums. Can he lengthen that streak this weekend in Qatar?
George Russell, Mercedes
Picture by: Zak Mauger / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Considerations about stint restrict could also be untimely – Ed Hardy
No matter occurs this weekend, the grand prix will nonetheless be a singular one as a result of Pirelli has enforced a 25-lap restrict per stint, which successfully forces groups right into a two-stop technique for the 57-tour race.
There are issues that that is limiting strategic choices, Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley claimed “it’s simply going to be a little bit of a procession” – however is it actually? Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola was proper to level out that groups aren’t compelled to pit on the twenty fourth lap and there’s nonetheless sufficient room for flexibility, as Las Vegas confirmed.
George Russell pitted on lap 17, Lando Norris was lap 22 and Max Verstappen was two excursions later and the combat amongst the highest three was nonetheless partaking sufficient. Who is aware of what can occur at race begin as properly? One of many frontrunners could also be compelled into an early cease and thus try a unique technique to others. So, there’s no hurt in imposing one thing new, particularly if there are issues over tyre put on across the observe.
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