Max Verstappen can claim a third successive Drivers’ title in Qatar, but he remains wary that the extreme temperatures and limited practice running could complicate proceedings.
The Dutchman has been dominant throughout the 2023 season and holds a staggering 177-point advantage over team-mate Sergio Perez in the standings.
He now needs just three points over the course of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend to seal a third consecutive title. That could very well happen in Saturday’s Sprint race – although Verstappen remains aware of the challenges the weekend’s revised format presents.
The Sprint format sees drivers take to the track for just one hour-long free practice session before the cars enter parc fermé conditions. Drivers will also be faced with extreme temperatures during the day, and a cooling track as the sun sets heading into qualifying, the Sprint and the Grand Prix itself.
“I think we normally should be quick here. But again, it’s only one practice session. So it’s about making sure we hit the ground running that, you know, the car is in a good place, good window,” Verstappen said.
“But normally, yeah, it should be a nice track for us. We just want to have a good weekend.
“It’s tough [with the Sprint format]. Also, you know it’s very warm and then throughout the night of course, it cools down a bit. So whatever you do in FP1, it’s still not clear for qualifying, you know?
“So it makes it a lot harder and a bit of gambling and guessing as well as to make the right call, which is a bit of a shame for me.
“I think on this track, it would be amazing to have a few [practice sessions] to really setup the car nicely and be fully comfortable going into qualifying for everyone and to really get the best out of it. But, yeah, that’s how it is, they chose to do it here.
“It’s never going to be very straightforward for anyone out there. Of course, if you hit the ground running and the car feels amazing, yeah great, perfect. But it’s very rare that it’s like that and of course, with one session, but then again, it’s too hot.
“So then you’re going into qualifying with different conditions. It makes it a proper guessing game but, okay, we did FP1, we might be quite happy.
“But then what would we do for qualifying? Because it’s a lot colder and the balance and the tyres, everything changes. So there’s a lot that you have to get right.
“And for sure, you know, some teams will be better than others. Of course, I hope that we are on the better side, but I guess we’ll find out.”
In the likely event that he does clinch a third title this weekend, the Dutchman will join an elite group of drivers to have achieved the feat.
The achievement has only been managed by Michael Schumacher (7), Lewis Hamilton (7), Juan Manuel Fangio (5), Alain Prost (4), Sebastian Vettel (4), Ayrton Senna (3), Nelson Piquet (3), Niki Lauda (3), Jackie Stewart (3) and Jack Brabham (3).
“Of course, I mean I’m very proud to be able to achieve these kinds of things, but also I live very much in the moment, right?,” Verstappen said of the achievement.
“So, I want to of course achieve more and, I know that once I stop racing, I have to look back and appreciate it probably even more. But for sure, it’s something that I never even thought about when I was a little kid, you know, that this was possible.”
Of joining three three-time champion club, the Red Bull driver commented: “I mean, everyone is like, amazing in their own right. You know, no one is the same and that’s the beauty about the sport.
“That’s why I think it’s not fair to just pick one [as a favourite] because, you know, it’s different eras and, you know, they are all amazing drivers.”
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