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Max Verstappen will be looking to celebrate his 2023 title triumph with his 14th win this season at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Verstappen starts on pole position for the second ever F1 race in Qatar but will face a big challenge from the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the start.

It’s a long run down to Turn 1 and the Sprint showed the cleaner, left-hand side of the grid is where you want to be to get a good launch.

With Hamilton starting in third (on the left) and Russell in second (on the right), it could be the seven-time world champion who gets into the slipstream of Verstappen and goes for it in the first couple of corners, reminding us all of those feisty 2021 opening race exchanges.

“I’m battling the guy to the right of me for sure (Verstappen),” said Hamilton after qualifying on Friday at the Losail International Circuit.

“I’ll give it everything to try and fight him. Maybe like George said, maybe he will just disappear like he does in most of the other races, but maybe we’ll be able to fight. I’m trying to win the race. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting against.”

However, he was less optimistic following Saturday’s Sprint when discussing his targets for the race.

Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: “I hope we can hold position. That would be amazing as a team. I think it will be difficult to beat the Red Bull. The goal is to keep the Ferraris behind and if there is any way of keeping the McLarens behind, we will do that. But it’s going to be a long race.”

Russell also suggested Hamilton and himself “are going to have to work together to make sure we get a strong result for the team”.

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Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on a thrilling Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix that saw Max Verstappen earn the points he needed to become world champion

The last two events in Singapore and Japan have showed both Mercedes will race each other hard, so they need to ensure they don’t throw too many punches on the opening lap if they want to be ahead, or stay within touching distance.

Tyre degradation is going to be a big problem too – even without the FIA mandating three pit stops (more on that later) – so Mercedes will have two cards to play with up front.

Surprisingly, there were three Safety Cars in the Sprint, so Mercedes could split the strategy and some fortune for Hamilton or Russell with the timing of an accident could put Verstappen under a lot of pressure – if they keep him within sight.

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The best of the action from a dramatic Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix

F1 teams wait on FIA tyre ruling

In a throwback to the 2005 Indianapolis Grand Prix, tyres may become a major storyline in the race due to safety concerns over tyre wear.

Following analysis of the tyres used on Friday, in what was meant to be the sole practice session of the Sprint event, there were concerns from Pirelli over the impact the Losail International Circuit’s ‘pyramid’ kerbs are having.

In an attempt to reduce the impact, track limits at Turns 12-13 were revised, with the white line being moved inwards by 80cm, and an extra 10-minute ‘practice familiarisation’ took place ahead of the Sprint Shootout on Saturday.

Pirelli and the FIA have analysed tyre data from the Sprint, when the majority of drivers started on the medium tyres. Depending on the analysis, the FIA could enforce a mandatory three pit stop rule for Sunday’s 57-lap race, along with a maximum limit of 20 full laps run on any single new set of tyres.

The consensus from drivers is safety comes first although some think, including Russell, that it should be up to the teams to take a risk on pushing the limits of a tyre.

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FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis explains why the FIA are revising track limits and may enforce a three pit stop during the Qatar GP weekend amid safety concerns over tyres

“At the end of the day, we all have the data. If you to a circuit like Barcelona, which is already a three-stop naturally, nobody would attempt a one-stop because we have the data to tell you a one-stop won’t work,” Russell told Sky Sports F1.

“Going into the Sprint Race, nobody had the data because we only did nine laps in a row in free practice. Now we have all got the data and it’s going to be clear what’s possible and I think it should just be down to the teams to judge and take the risk and the reward.”

In the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix in 2021, four drivers suffered punctures – Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris, Nicholas Latifi and Russell himself.

Pirelli won’t want to see a repeat of that and the way the race goes will be critical for how things pan out.

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Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok meets some members of the Red Bull team who have contributed to Max Verstappen’s incredible success

Can McLaren fight through the field?

But what about McLaren? Friday setbacks leave Sprint stars with work to do.

As evidenced by their win and third place in the Sprint, McLaren’s strong form of recent races has absolutely transferred to Qatar’s Losail circuit but setbacks from Friday qualifying have left a sting in the tail for the start of Sunday.

Norris and Oscar Piastri had initially qualified second and fourth for Sunday’s grid but were eventually relegated to 10th and sixth respectively for separate track limits infringements in Q3.

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Oscar Piastri holds his nerve to claim his first Sprint win as Max Verstappen finishes second to secure his third world title

Team boss Andrea Stella acknowledged they had “a lot of work ahead of us” to make up lost ground but were nonetheless “encouraged by the performance of the car”.

Norris, while unhappy with his own form so far this weekend following several untimely mistakes, believes the podium might not be out of the question from the fifth row.

“I just need to stay out of carnage. The first couple of corners are pretty sketchy. Depending on what tyres we start on, and so on, but the main thing is staying out of harm’s way the first few laps,” said Norris.

“We have the pace. I think we have reasonable degradation, maybe not the best, compared to the Red Bulls, but reasonable degradation. So, we want to score good points.

“I think we have pace to be on the podium but whether we can do it or not from P10 is going to be the question. So, it’s a long race, we don’t know what rules and stuff Pirelli are going to make us do with the tyres and things like that yet, but we’ll find out soon.”

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Lando Norris was frustrated with himself after making a number of mistakes in the Sprint, admitting it ‘hurts’ to know that he’s not performing to his best

Starting grid for Sunday’s Qatar GP

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. George Russell, Mercedes
3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
7. Pierre Gasly, Alpine
8. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9. Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
10. Lando Norris, McLaren
11. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
12. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
13. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
14. Alex Albon, Williams
15. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
16. Logan Sargeant, Williams
17. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
18. Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri
19. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
20. Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo

Sky Sports F1’s live Qatar Grand Prix schedule on Sunday

Sunday October 8

• 4.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
• 6pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
• 8pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
• 9pm: Ted’s Notebook

Watch Max Verstappen’s first race as a three-time world champion in the Qatar GP on Sunday live on Sky Sports F1. The race starts at 6pm with build-up from 4.30pm. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW for £21 a month for six months

Max Verstappen beats Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to pole; Verstappen needs three points in Saturday’s sprint to seal drivers’ title; watch the Sprint Shootout live on Sky Sports F1 at 2pm on Saturday before the Sprint at 6.30pm

Max Verstappen took pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix in a dominant start to the event at which he appears certain to seal a third successive world championship.

Verstappen, who can clinch the drivers’ title with just three points in either Saturday’s Sprint or Sunday’s full-length contest, was comfortably clear of Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in second and third, respectively.

McLaren’s Lando Norris appeared to be the only driver with the pace to challenge Verstappen, but the Brit exceeded track limits on both of his Q3 flying runs to end the session without a time and in 10th.

His team-mate Oscar Piastri was initially promoted to third by Norris’ demotion, but was then also found to have exceeded track limits on his final run and dropped to sixth.

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Lance Stroll was furious after a fourth successive Q1 exit in the Aston Martin

Along with the Mercedes cars, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso benefitted to jump to fourth, while Charles Leclerc took fifth for Ferrari.

Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz’s strong form came to an abrupt end as the Spaniard made a surprise Q2 exit to qualify 12th, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez’s disappointing campaign continued as he finished a place further back.

Qatar GP Qualifying result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) George Russell, Mercedes
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
5) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
7) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
10) Lando Norris, McLaren

More to follow…

Will Max Verstappen wrap up his third world championship at the first attempt at the Qatar GP? Watch every session of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1. Stream F1 and more with NOW for £21 a month for six months

Jessica Hawkins has opened up on her F1 test with Aston Martin, which saw her become the first woman to drive a Formula 1 car for five years; download and subscribe to the Sky Sports F1 Podcast via Spotify, Apple and Spreaker

Jessica Hawkins has spoken of her pride at helping advance opportunities for female drivers in motorsport after her recent test in Aston Martin’s F1 car.

Aston Martin’s driver ambassador and former W Series driver drove the team’s 2021 car in 26 laps at Budapest’s Hungaroring on September 21, becoming the first woman to test modern-day F1 machinery in five years.

Hawkins, who is playing a role with Aston Martin’s entry into the all-female F1 Academy series when all 10 F1 teams become involved next year, believes opportunities for female drivers are growing.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Hawkins said: “I often get asked why there are no women in F1. There are probably a variety of reasons but one of the main reasons is a numbers game.”

“If 5000 kids start karting across the world and only 10 of them are women, and people drop out along the way for many reasons like budget or they are not good enough, not passionate about it, or find other interests, by law of averages, of course you are not going to see a woman racing in F1.

“But what I think this will do is give visibility to the younger generation that we deserve a space and can do it, we are capable.

“I’m not just passionate about women in motorsport, but passionate about people being happy and following their dream.”

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British racing driver Hawkins became the first woman in five years to test an F1 car, completing laps for Aston Martin in Budapest

In an interview with Aston Martin’s website, the 28-year-old former British karting champion added: “Sometimes, I wish I was 20 years younger and starting out because I feel like there’s far more opportunity now, but I’m so happy that things have changed to give younger generations that opportunity.

“When I was a child, if I turned on the TV and watched F1, would I have come away thinking that women can drive F1 cars? Probably not. It’s all about visibility. If you can see it, you can be it.

“I’m proud to be driving female representation in motorsport forward. I hope that seeing me behind the wheel of an F1 car inspires future female racers and inspires people, male or female, to follow their dreams no matter what. Nothing should ever stop you from doing what you want to do, what you’re passionate about – what you love doing.”

“There are still things I want to achieve. If I can make it easier for future generations, help break down barriers and pave the way for them, then I’ll be happy.”

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Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Hawkins reveals the bizarre Guinness World Record she holds… involving a lawnmower and a lot of speed!

Although a handful of female drivers have driven in Grand Prix weekends since F1’s inception, most recently Susie Wolff in Friday practice sessions in 2014-15, only two have started a race. The last was Italy’s Lella Lombardi in 1976, who made 12 starts in total with a best result of sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hawkins has worked with several drivers during her time at Aston Martin including Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne.

The 28-year-old says all the drivers she’s worked with have been very helpful and enabled her to learn a lot during race weekends.

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Hawkins compares an Formula 1 car to a ‘spaceship’ after becoming the first woman in five years to test an F1 car

“It’s things they think about when they are on track and being clever, thinking outside the box. Their brain capacity is huge,” said Hawkins.

“Fernando has been doing it a long time and I feel like when you have driven any car for that amount of time, you have so much space for other things.”

Listen to more from Jessica Hawkins as she discusses breaking a world record, her short football playing career and more. Don’t miss an episode of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast. Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Spreaker

Will Max Verstappen wrap up his third world championship at the first attempt at the Qatar GP? Watch every session of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from October 6-8. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW. Cancel anytime

“I’m sure he’s got something they’re working on,” says Christian Horner of Toto Wolff’s Mercedes, who want fightback against Red Bull in 2024; Max Verstappen set to clinch F1 drivers’ title in Qatar, with first chance in the Sprint this Saturday at 6.30pm on Sky Sports F1

Red Bull boss Christian Horner envisages his Mercedes counterpart and rival Toto Wolff “plotting” how to get his team back to the front of Formula 1.

Speaking about Wolff in an interview with Sky Sports News, Horner said: “For me sport is about rivalry. It’s great to have rivalry.

“There has to be a respect, but sport isn’t sport without rivalry.

“Obviously we haven’t seen much of him the last couple of years but I’m sure he’s plotting. I’m sure he’s got something that they’re working on.

“They’re a great team. They are a big team. They have got great drivers. They’ll be looking to fight back.”

Red Bull have supplanted Mercedes over the past two seasons as F1’s dominant force.

Fresh from clinching the Constructors’ Championship last time out in Japan, Max Verstappen is poised to wrap up his third successive drivers’ crown at this weekend’s Qatar GP – most likely as early as Saturday’s Sprint, which starts at 6.30pm live on Sky Sports F1.

Before last year and F1’s big rules reset, Mercedes had won eight successive constructors’ titles in an unprecedented run of success.

They currently find themselves in a fight with Ferrari for second in the Constructors’ Championship with both giants having scored less than half of Red Bull’s points this year. Mercedes have however promised major changes for their 2024 car and Wolff, who will return to the paddock this weekend after not traveling to Japan due to knee surgery, said in Singapore they were “really looking at the results with an encouraging perspective” from the wind tunnel.

Horner saw Red Bull’s first wave of title success in 2010-13 brought to a shuddering halt by Mercedes nine years ago at the dawn of F1’s new hybrid turbo engines and, having taken time to recover to title success, he said: “It hurts when you’re losing and if it doesn’t hurt then you shouldn’t be doing it.

“We had a long period, six to seven seasons, of hurt, of being the bridesmaid. But we never lost sight of where we wanted to be. We were the team to break that [Mercedes] domination, and everything goes in cycles.

“At some point somebody will beat us.

“Now, whether it’s Mercedes, or Ferrari, or McLaren, or Aston Martin, or whoever, we don’t know. But all we can control is what we’re doing. So that’s what we’re focused on, is ourselves.”

Verstappen set for Saturday title win | Horner: ‘He’s proud of what he’s doing’

For now, there appears no stopping the Red Bull juggernaut.

They followed up their sudden slump in form and first Sunday defeat of 2023 in Singapore with one of their most impressive showings a week later at Suzuka, where Verstappen swept to his 13th victory of the season and the team’s 15th.

Verstappen is set to be crowned 2023’s champion in Qatar with the Dutchman requiring just a sixth-place finish in Saturday’s 19-lap Sprint to be sure of wrapping things up even before Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Asked how he felt about the unusual prospect of winning a title on a Saturday, Horner said: “We don’t care when we win it – as long as we win it.

“It’s about getting that trophy, getting that third title to his name. The fact that it’s done in Qatar on a Saturday evening would make Sunday even more enjoyable to go into that grand prix, if he achieves it, as a three-time world champion. So I don’t think it really matters.”

Asked if Verstappen, who turned 26 on Saturday, had the potential to eventually set a new record for F1 title wins, Horner stressed that “eight is a huge amount of distance away”.

He said that while Verstappen is proud of what he achieving, he is always focused forward and on the short term.

“There are not many drivers with more than three [titles]. You’ve got Sebastian [Vettel], Alain Prost, [Juan-Manuel] Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton,” said Horner.

“It’s a pretty select club he’ll enter when he wins his third world title.

“For him, he’s just an out-and-out racer. I know he’s proud of what he’s doing and achieving, but he’s forward-looking. He’s not rearward looking and I think that for him it’s about the next race.

“There is still six races to go this year and I know he’s motivated to try and win all of them.”

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Red Bull boss Christian Horner admits ‘big talent’ Lando Norris is one of a number of drivers they are keeping ‘an eye on’.

When to watch the Qatar GP live only on Sky Sports F1

Thursday October 5

• 4pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday October 6

• 2pm: Qatar GP Practice One (Session starts 2.30pm)
• 5pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
• 6pm: Qatar GP Qualifying
• 8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday October 7

• 1.30pm: Sprint Shootout build-up
• 2pm: Sprint Shootout
• 5.30pm: Sprint build-up
• 6.30pm: SPRINT
• 8pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday October 8

• 4.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
• 6pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
• 8pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
• 9pm: Ted’s Notebook

Will Max Verstappen wrap up his third world championship at the first attempt at the Qatar GP? Watch every session of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from October 6-8. Stream every F1 race and more with NOW for £21 a month for six months