Over the weekend the Formula 1 paddock returned to the Losail International Circuit for another edition of the F1 sprint weekend. The sprint format is the addition of a mid-weekend shortened qualifying and race on Saturday, with the traditional qualifying occurring on Friday and the main race on Sunday. The intensity of this action-pack weekend was heightened as it became clear that the updated Qatari circuit featured a new slippery surface, aggressive curbs and potentially dangerous conditions that proved challenging to the drivers.
Saturday’s Sprint Race saw McLaren’s Oscar Piastri convert his pole position from Sprint Qualifying into his maiden F1 race win, rounding off a sublime performance from the Australian rookie. However, the spotlight was on Max Verstappen, who came second scoring seven points. This ensured that he won the World Drivers Championship for the third time in a row, cementing what has already been a record-breaking season. The final step on the podium was secured by Lando Norris, delivering another double podium for McLaren.
Further down the grid, George Russell finished fourth ahead of fellow Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton as he saw his race pace vanish as his soft tyres seemed to run out of life after an impressive start saw him briefly take the lead. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished in front of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, with William’s Alex Albon securing the last point scoring position by remarkably climbing nine positions in the nineteen-lap race.
The first issue of the weekend became apparent after Saturday’s event, as the FIA and Pirelli made the decision to limit tyres to eighteen racing laps – effectively enforcing a minimum three-stop race for Sunday. The FIA reasoned this as the degradation caused by the circuit’s kerbs was so severe that the tyres showed signs of “separation” after the sprint.
Despite an enforced three-stop race, Sunday saw Max Verstappen continue his dominance and finish his championship-securing weekend with a win from pole. McLaren achieved a double podium with Piastri finishing ahead of Norris. This result was impressive as both papaya-clad drivers began down the order after struggling with track limits in Friday’s qualifying.
In fourth place Mercedes’ Russell was able to drive an inspiring comeback race after colliding with teammate Hamilton at the start. The collision between the two British drivers saw Hamilton unable to continue, with the seven-time champion later taking full responsibility for the incident. Ferrari’s Leclerc came home a strong fifth, leading Aston Martin’s Alonso and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, whilst eighth and ninth going to the Alfa Romeo duo of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou: an impressive double points finish for the team.
Finally, Redbull’s Sergio Perez finished tenth – a disappointing result that has seen even more pressure mounting on the Mexican as his performance across the weekend was lacklustre, as he crashed out of the Sprint and made multiple blunders on Sunday.
Redbull advisor, Helmut Marko, made clear that his place in the top team was not secure, highlighting that his performance would need to improve. The Austrian also discussed potential alternatives, admitting that Redbull does have the ability to replace the struggling Mexican with drivers from AlphaTauri.
Despite an exciting weekend, the main talking point following Sunday is the scorching conditions, with Russell describing the race as being “beyond the limit of what was acceptable”. Multiple drivers echoed this sentiment including Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, noting that it was the hardest of all their careers. For example, Ocon vomited in his helmet on lap fifteen due to the conditions, whilst Logan Sargeant was forced to retire from the race as a result of fatigue. The conditions appeared to affect all as multiple drivers required support exiting their cars, with many seeking medical assistance after the race.
The complete disregard for safety has seen the FIA and F1 management come under scrutiny, especially considering Qatar has received a ten-year contract to host a Grand Prix.
The FIA has announced a review into the race, with a potential date to change being a possible solution.
However, this situation has highlighted that the governing body has often prioritised profits over the safety and well-being of its competitors. Such as the 2022 Saudi Arabia GP taking place despite a missile attack near the circuit and drivers protesting the decision or the use of circuits such as Jeddah that are considered too dangerous by many drivers.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen what the outcome of the review is but it is clear that the conditions on Sunday were clearly over the limit and that significant change must happen.
“2023-07-30 084 Formel 1; Max Verstappen” by Joachim_Hofmann is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.