5 things that have changed since the last F1 Qatar GP

The last time we had an F1 Qatar GP was in 2021 and the ecosystem of the sport was quite different.

We were going through what was an intense championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. We saw the two drivers go hammer and tongs all season in what was the inaugural edition of the race, where Fernando Alonso secured a podium.

It's almost two years since the last time we had an F1 Qatar GP and the sport has moved on at a rapid rate. A lot has changed and a lot is not the same anymore.

In this feature let's take a look at some of the things that have changed since we last had an F1 race in Qatar.

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#1 Max Verstappen is now a double world champion

The last time we had an F1 Qatar GP, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were embroiled in an intense title battle. The race was won by Hamilton and it only served the purpose of intensifying the title battle even more.

By the end of the season, however, it was Verstappen who won the title (albeit under controversial circumstances). Since then the Red Bull driver has not looked back and is on his way to a third World title this weekend after sealing the second title last season.

#2 Mercedes is not a frontrunner anymore

The 2021 F1 Qatar GP saw flawlessness from Lewis Hamilton. He came into the weekend with the sole aim of winning the race and keeping the championship battle alive.

The Brit secured pole position with a stunning lap and backed it up with a great race win where nobody could challenge him. All this while Max Verstappen was recovering from a five-place grid penalty to finish second in the race.

This time around, things are not the same anymore. Mercedes is not a frontrunner and if there is any driver that could repeat the utter dominance shown by Lewis Hamilton last season then it has to be Max Verstappen.

#3 Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have retired

The last time we raced in Qatar, we had four world champions on the grid. Two years later when we have come back, we have lost two of them. Kimi Raikkonen retired at the end of the 2021 F1 season while Sebastian Vettel announced his shock exit from the sport last season.

On the current grid, we have Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso as the three world champions. Ironically it was this trio that stood on the podium the last time we had a Qatar GP.

#4 The cars are different since the last Qatar GP

One of the bigger and visible changes will be the cars as the 2021 F1 season was the one where the turbo hybrid era came to an end.

From 2022 onwards, we had an entirely new era of ground effect cars introduced that would be easier to follow and have a completely different design philosophy. That design philosophy makes the cars much more potent in the fast-speed sections but much slower in the slow-speed ones.

Out of all the teams on the grid, Red Bull has nailed these regulations and has dominated the sport.

#5 We do not have Michael Masi anymore

Well, remember Michael Masi? The name resonates with so many people today because of what happened in AD2021 but many won't remember that he was the race director the last time we raced in Qatar.

Well, this time around he's not here anymore and we have a different race director in place. F1 has moved on from the scandals of the 2021 season but has it learned? Has it improved? That's probably a question for another day.