Hamilton Praises Verstappen Ahead Of Third World Title Win
Max Verstappen is on the verge of securing his third straight world championship as Formula 1 returns to the Middle East for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Dutchman only needs three more points to clinch the 2023 title, meaning he only needs to finish sixth or higher during the Saturday sprint race in order to seal his crown. Verstappen was back to his usual ruthless best last time out in Japan, after his first podium-less race of the season a week earlier in Singapore.
Sergio Perez endured a weekend to forget in Suzuka, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a memorable double podium for McLaren. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and is now just 33 points off Perez in the championship standings. Norris, meanwhile, has drawn level with George Russell in seventh place in the standings with six races and three sprints to go in 2023.
F1 raced in Qatar for the first time towards the end of the memorable 2021 season, when Hamilton came home in first place at the Lusail International Circuit. A race did not take place in 2022 as Qatar was focusing on hosting the FIFA World Cup. F1 has signed a 10-year deal from 2023 to host a race in Qatar every year.
Follow live updates from the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX – QUALIFYING
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PREVIEW: How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’
Preview by Kieran Jackson
At the Lusail International Circuit, home to the second iteration this weekend of Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix, a reminder of the country’s crowning moment glows bright in the background.
The Lusail Iconic Stadium, the 88,000-capacity golden bowl which hosted last year’s World Cup final, is less than 10 miles down the road. But with the planet’s biggest show having come and gone – with its fair share of acclaim and criticism – Qatari executives are determined to move on. A new spectacle is in town.
“We are the new World Cup for the next 10 years,” boldly stated Amro Al-Hamad, CEO of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, earlier this year.
Kieran Jackson6 October 2023 13:29
Driver Standings ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend
1) Max Verstappen – 400 points
2) Sergio Perez – 223 points
3) Lewis Hamilton – 190 points
4) Fernando Alonso – 174 points
5) Carlos Sainz – 150 points
6) Charles Leclerc – 135 points
7) Lando Norris – 115 points
8) George Russell – 115 points
9) Oscar Piastri – 57 points
10) Lance Stroll – 47 points
11) Pierre Gasly – 46 points
12) Esteban Ocon – 38 points
13) Alex Albon – 21 points
14) Nico Hulkenberg – 9 points
15) Valtteri Bottas – 6 points
16) Zhou Guanyu – 4 points
17) Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points
18) Kevin Magnussen – 3 points
19) Liam Lawson – 2 points
20) Logan Sargeant – 0 points
21) Nyck de Vries – 0 points
22) Daniel Ricciardo – 0 points
Kieran Jackson6 October 2023 13:24
How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar?
The Red Bull driver has dominated this season, winning 13 of the 16 races as well as two of the three sprints.
He most recently won in Japan, having previously failed to finish on the podium for the first time in 2023 after a mysterious drop in performance in Singapore.
Nonetheless, Verstappen’s current total of 400 points puts him 177 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez with 180 points left on the table.
Here’s how Verstappen can secure title No 3 in Qatar:
Kieran Jackson6 October 2023 13:21
F1 qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix!
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent!
F1 is back with the fourth sprint weekend of the season as the sport returns to the Lusail International Circuit, which first held a race in 2021. Lewis Hamilton was victorious back then, but it’s all about Max Verstappen this weekend.
The Dutchman can clinch his third straight world title with a top six finish in tomorrow’s sprint race but today, it’s practice and then qualifying for Sunday’s main event!
First practice is at 2:30pm (BST), with qualifying later on at 6pm!
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson6 October 2023 13:18