Newly topped quadruple world champion Max Verstappen shifts his focus from the drivers’ title to the crew contest this weekend, as he leads Red Bull’s bid to defend its crown on the Qatar Grand Prix.
Just 5 days after securing his fourth championship with a gradual fifth-place end on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the 27-year-old Dutchman returns to the monitor, aiming to duplicate his pole-to-flag victory from final yr.
Verstappen, who holds the lap document at Lusail International Circuit, set in 2023, will race with confidence, however a fierce problem awaits from McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes as they vie for fulfillment.
After falling away from the drivers’ title battle final weekend, Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri will intention to increase their lead. McLaren is atop the standings with 608 factors, 24 away from Ferrari (584) and Red Bull (555), with two Grands Prix, together with a dash in Qatar, remaining.
Verstappen gained final yr’s race forward of Norris and Piastri, who claimed victory within the dash. Given their latest kind, the vastly improved McLaren crew might have an edge on this weekend’s third Qatar occasion.
Mercedes’ outgoing seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who will go away the crew to affix Ferrari after the season finale in Abu Dhabi subsequent week, gained the inaugural Qatar race in 2021. There was no race in 2022 as a result of Qatar World Cup.
“Winning the title was an incredible moment,” Verstappen stated forward of his arrival in Doha. “I’m so happy with what we achieved as a crew. There had been tough moments, however we caught collectively, by no means gave up, and that’s what made it so particular.
“We are still very focused for the Qatar race, and it’s going to be a busy weekend. The season is not over yet… We want to keep the momentum going and win as many points as we can for the team. Bring it on!”
‘Nobody is unbeatable’
The champion can count on a powerful problem from all of his rivals, led by Mercedes’ George Russell, who gained in Nevada and declared his intent to launch a title bid in 2025 if his usually unpredictable automobile proves as quick and dependable because it was final weekend.
“Nobody is unbeatable,” Russell stated, amid discuss of a Verstappen period of dominance. “You go through phases when teams and drivers are dominating, but you have to have belief in yourself… Personally, I believe that we can fight him in equal machinery.”
The swap in focus to the constructors’ championship will see status and prize cash at stake for the groups, who, inside the sport and its paddock, regard it because the true focus of their consideration whereas acknowledging the worth of the drivers’ title.
Although the allocation of prize cash just isn’t made public, most knowledgeable paddock sources consider the champion crew will win an estimated $140-150 million, with the runners-up taking $130-135 million.
The third-place crew might obtain round $125 million, with every of the ten groups receiving roughly $10 million lower than the crew ending a spot above them. This state of affairs will change in 2026 when General Motors’ Cadillac model enters as a brand new crew.
By then, given F1’s American-fueled progress, the income streams and prize cash are anticipated to have elevated. On Wednesday, F1 introduced that the well-known and historic Italian Grand Prix will stay on the calendar with a six-year deal by 2031.
Source: www.dailysabah.com