2023 F1 Qatar GP: Can Verstappen be crowned champion on Saturday?

Formula 1 returns with the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend as reigning constructors champion Red Bull Racing look to secure the title with Max Verstappen. 

Red Bull secured the constructors championship last time out, their star man, Max Verstappen is on course to add a third title to his name this weekend. 

With the constructors sealed and the driver’s title being when, not if, eyes now switch to the fight for second in the championship, both in the drivers and constructors championships. 

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez holds the position in the drivers, 177 points behind his teammate with Lewis Hamilton in close pursuit. At the same time, only 20 points separate Mercedes and Ferrari for that runner-up spot in the team’s championship.

While remaining out of an F1 seat for 2024, Liam Lawson remains on substitute duty for Alpha Tauri as the injured Daniel Ricciardo continues to heal his broken hand. 

A return to the Middle East

F1 returns to Qatar for its now-regular appearance in the world championship calendar, following its late addition to the 2021 championship amid the height of the COVID pandemic. 

The last time the sport visited the country was for the intense 2021 championship fight between reigning champion, and eventual winner, Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. The latter went on to secure the inaugural victory with 25s in-hand over Verstappen who finished second. 

While the Middle East circuit was more famously used for the MotoGP world championship, F1 arrived at the Losail Internation Circuit and it was a delight to the drivers who appreciated the layout of the circuit. The track also provided some late drama in the first race with tyre failures from both Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas on lap 33 and Williams’ George Russell on lap 51. 

The Qatar Grand Prix will also hold the fourth of six Sprint Races in 2023 with only Austin, USA and Sao Paulo, Brazil providing the remaining Sprint Race weekends of the season. 

Mercedes vs Ferrari

While eyes are focused on Verstappen’s potential championship victory in Qatar, there are other areas of interest to keep your eye on such as the fight for P2 in the constructors as the season nears its natural conclusion. 

Across the season, Ferrari has been fairly hit-and-miss compared to their impressive start to the ground-affect era last season. However, they finally found their groove in Monza before they bagged their first win of the season in Singapore, the very next race, with Carlos Sainz’s tactical victory. 

Mercedes, in contrast, have been the better team and consistently scored points in every round. The Silver Arrows’ seven-time world champion, Hamilton, remains the only driver to bag points in every race this season. While the advantage lies at Mercedes in the table, it’s Ferrari who are in form after they overtook the now-underperforming Aston Martin team.

Bouncing back from two consecutive pole positions in Monza and Singapore, plus a four-six finish in Japan where they split the two Mercedes who finished fifth and seventh, it means the Scuderia only have 20 points between themselves and Mercedes. 

Verstappen’s championship hopes

After a record-breaking season for both Red Bull and Verstappen, the Dutchman’s third consecutive world title has been written on the walls for some time. Just no one could officially confirm it, and – to be honest – we still can’t… Yet. 

After the young two-time world champion repelled an early threat against, teammate, Perez, the Dutchman was walked away into the distance with the championship – like he has done in numerous races this season. However, there stands a chance that the Dutch driver will be able to clinch this title even before the main event on Sunday. 

As this race weekend stands as a sprint race, it means if the #1 Red Bull secures 6th place – as a minimum – in the sprint, it will confirm Verstappen as the 2023 world champion regardless of where Perez finishes. 

Should the Dutchman complete this feat at Qatar, he will make history in an unusual way as the first driver to be crowned as the world champion on a Saturday rather than a Grand Prix Sunday.

That’s all for the article: 2023 F1 Qatar GP: Can Verstappen be crowned champion on Saturday?!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Red Bull Racing crowned 2023 F1 Constructors World Champions
• LIVE: 2023 F1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
• Verstappen storms his way to Japanese GP F1 pole with blistering lap
• Verstappen completes full sweep as fastest driver in FP3 at Japan GP
• Alpha Tauri retain unchanged line up in Tsunoda and Ricciardo for 2024
• Verstappen heads the field in FP1 of Japan GP to shake off Singapore doubts

Give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the latest news from the world of Motorsport! You can also support us on Patreon or on our website!

Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.