Max Verstappen won in Qatar and is three-time Formula 1 champion

Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who on Saturday, the day in which the sprint was held, had already been mathematically proclaimed triple Formula One world champion, finished off the weekend by winning the Qatar Grand Prix this Sunday, the seventeenth of the championship, which was held at the Lusail circuit, where the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished sixth.

Verstappen, just 26 years old, achieved his fourteenth victory of the season, the forty-ninth since he has raced in F1, by winning in Lusail – also setting the fastest lap – ahead of the two McLarens, the Australian Oscar Piastri, who finished second this Sunday after scoring the sprint on Saturday; and that of the Englishman Lando Norris; who also got on the podium.

The other Spaniard, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) did not participate in the race, when a breakdown – “a problem in the fuel system”, according to his team – was discovered in his car shortly before the race; while the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) finished ninth, but, after a third penalty for exceeding the track limits announced right at the end, he lost one place and was classified tenth.

In a very tough race, marked by strong heat and high humidity – and with the extraordinary obligation of not running more than 18 laps on each tire – for the sake of greater safety – the Englishman George Russell (Mercedes) was fourth, ahead of the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and the Asturian double world champion.

The Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) finished seventh, ahead of the Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and the Chinese Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo), who, thanks to ‘Checo”s third penalty, rose one place and finished ninth.Verstappen, With the title already decided, he now leads with 433 points, 209 more than his Mexican teammate.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), retired after colliding with Russell in the first corner, is third; with 194, eleven more than Alonso. And despite not having started this Sunday, Sainz remains fifth overall, with 153 units, thirty less than his compatriot.

The next race, the United States Grand Prix, will be held on the 22nd at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (Texas).

Max Verstappen and the Formula 1 title that equals him with legends like Senna, Lauda and Piquet | OPINION

QATAR GP SCHEDULE 2023

The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix will be this Sunday, October 8 at the Losail International Circuit at 12:00 pm See the schedules by country below.

11:00 am – Mexico

12:00 hours – Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

1:00 p.m. – Venezuela, Bolivia

2:00 p.m. – Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile

7:00 p.m. – Spain, Germany, Italy, France

ON WHICH TV CHANNEL TO WATCH QATAR 2023

ESPN, STAR +, DAZN, Movistar Plus, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports Premium will show the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix of the Formula 1 World Championship.

On the verge of winning his third consecutive Formula 1 world title, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will start from pole position in the Qatar Grand Prix after having achieved first place on the grid this Friday at the Lusail circuit.

The Dutchman surpassed the British George Russell (Mercedes) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), achieving his tenth pole position in 17 races this season.

“It’s a great start to the weekend,” said Verstappen, who celebrated his 26th birthday last weekend. “I’m happy for the pole, it’s been a good day for us,” he added.

“It was difficult for the tires, with a lot of sand on the circuit, but our car is working very well,” analyzed the Dutchman, who achieved the 30th pole of his career.

“The fact of being able to win doesn’t change anything, I just want to have a good weekend, this doesn’t give me extra pressure,” he concluded.

Verstappen, who led his first pursuers by more than half a second, once again appeared untouchable on a slippery sand track, gaining confidence before Saturday’s sprint, where he will probably become world champion for the third time.

Confusion reigned after the end of qualifying because the two best times of the McLarens, Lando Norris, initially second, and Oscar Piastri, fourth, were suppressed because they had exceeded the track limits.

The Briton fell back to tenth place, while the Australian will finally start sixth.

The two Mercedes took advantage of the sanctions against the McLarens to place themselves in second and third place on the starting grid, a performance that could be capital in the fight for second place in the constructors’ and drivers’ classification.

“It was not easy today, it is strange to be almost eliminated in Q1, to achieve the best time of Q2 right after, it is very good for the team, we have done a great job today,” Hamilton said.

“We know we can improve in some areas, but it is promising, although we never know what it will mean in the race. For our fight with Ferrari, we would have to secure maximum points here,” Russell added.

Hamilton could also take advantage of the poor performance of Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), who will start 13th, to reduce the difference of 33 points with the Mexican, while his team will have a good advantage with Ferrari since Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will start respectively from the fifth and 12th place.

On a circuit that the drivers know little and that has been repaved since its first race in 2021, the drivers had problems adapting. In addition to the sand, the heat and wind didn’t help either.

Sainz, winner in Singapore three weeks ago, fell into the trap and was eliminated in Q2 by 31 thousandths, on a day in which many times were eliminated for not respecting the limits of the track.