The Formula 1 action moves from Japan to the Middle East in the upcoming weekend for the Qatar Grand Prix 2023. A relatively new Grand Prix on the block, the ‘Land of Black Gold’ offers the perfect landscape for Max Verstappen to seal his third consecutive F1 World Championship title. Before we take a look at the schedule for the races, though, let us take a closer look at the Qatar Grand Prix and its significance in the context of the F1 World Championship 2023.
Held in 2021 for the first time, the Qatar Grand Prix is contested on the Losail International Circuit. The Grand Prix was not held in 2022 due to a clash with the 2022 FIFA World Cup taking place in Qatar. Lewis Hamilton, one of the all-time greats of the motorsport world and a modern-day legend, won the 2021 edition of the Qatar Grand Prix while racing for the Mercedes F1 team. Both Hamilton and Mercedes are heading to Qatar this weekend as the defending champions of the Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s win at the Japanese Grand Prix 2023 on September 24 meant that he had extended his lead over fellow Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez by a mammoth 177 points in the 2023 F1 World Championship Driver’s Standings. With only 180 points available in the remaining six events, the Dutch driver will need a sixth-place finish or higher in the Sprint Race on Saturday, October 7, to secure the championship.
Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing has already sealed the F1 Constructors’ Championship for 2023 with Max Verstappen’s win at the Suzuka Circuit on September 24. Ferrari and Mercedes will now be eyeing a second-place finish on the Constructors’ Ranking in a neck-to-neck battle as both have an opportunity to grab an advantage over the other at Qatar this weekend.
As the drivers take to the 5.4-kilometre-long circuit in Lusail on Sunday, October 8 to race for glory, we bring to you everything you need to know about the Qatar Grand Prix 2023’s schedule as well as where you watch the race from the comfort of your homes.
What does the Qatar Grand Prix 2023 schedule look like?
Max Verstappen will be rolling out on the Losail International Circuit with the singular thought of bringing the race for the F1 World Championship 2023 to a close and winning his third consecutive title. The 25-year-old F1 driver’s bid at winning the World Championship starts with the Free Practice Race 1 on Friday, October 6. The hour-long practice race will be followed by the Qualifying race on the same day.The Qatar Grand Prix 2023 will also see the return of the Sprint weekend. The previous F1 Sprint races in 2023 were held in Azerbaijan, Austria and Belgium. While the Sprint races were used to determine the grid for the main Grand Prix event in the past, as per changes made by the FIA this year, the Sprint will be a separate entity from the main Grand Prix race and will have no impact on the grid.
F1 drivers in the Sprint race are expected to be more attacking and experimental without worrying about its effect on the main race of the Qatar Grand Prix, the grid for which will be set by the Qualifying race. The Sprint Shootout (a qualifying race for the Sprint) and the Sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix will be held on Saturday, October 7.
The main event at the Qatar Grand Prix 2023 is slated for Sunday, October 8. The race at the Losail International Circuit was established by FIA as the fourth full-night race on the Formula 1 calendar, following the Singapore Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix and Sakhir Grand Prix.
Where can you watch the Qatar Grand Prix 2023?
Tickets for the Qatar Grand Prix 2023 are available for sale on Formula 1’s official website. Prices start at USD 866 and can go up to as high as USD 2,419. Each ticket guarantees access to all the races at the Losail International Circuit over the weekend, i.e., October 6 to 8.For those who cannot make it to the Losail International Circuit, the Qatar Grand Prix 2023 will be streaming live on F1 TV. Those who have an F1 TV Pro subscription can watch the race live, complete with access to onboard cameras in real-time.
The story first appeared on Augustman India
