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Max Verstappen is unfazed by the idea of winning his third title in the sprint ahead of the 2023 Qatar GP. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda, the Dutchman felt that it did not matter where he sealed the title as he was focused on having a straightforward race weekend.
With a sprint format at the Losail International Circuit, the warm weather could play a role in delaying the title getting sealed. However, if Max Verstappen wins the sprint race ahead of the main Grand Prix, the title could be wrapped on Saturday (October 7) itself.
Asked by Sportskeeda if he had any preferences when it comes to wrapping up the title on a Saturday or Sunday, Max Verstappen said he didn’t mind doing that at any point anywhere.
However, he felt the sprint format complicated a bit of the race weekend. Confident with the car’s performance at the Qatar circuit, Max Verstappen was certain that the track would suit them.
"I think we normally should be quick here, but again, it's only one practice session. So it's a about making sure that once we hit the ground running that the car is in a good place and a good window. But normally it should be a nice track for us. We just want to have a good weekend."
On whether it was annoying that he could wrap the title at the sprint race, the two-time champion was positive about having a more straightforward weekend as he inches closer to getting his third world title.
"Not for me. I mean, we can celebrate throughout the weekend. It’s ok," Verstappen said.
Max Verstappen believes the Losail International Circuit is not an ideal venue for a sprint weekend
Max Verstappen believes the sprint format makes it tricky to master the Losail International Circuit and could be better if it were like 2021.
Given the changing weather, he felt that the single practice session available was in warmer conditions, which made it difficult to get the setup correct for the rest of the weekend. He believes the format makes the set-up calls a bit of a gamble for everyone.
Asked about the difficulties of a sprint weekend in Qatar, the Dutchman explained:
“Yeah, it's tough. Also, it is very warm throughout the night cause it cools down a bit. Whatever you do in FP1 still not clear for qualifying, you know. So it makes it a lot harder and a bit of gambling and guessing as well to make the right call, which for me is a bit of a shame."
"Because on this track, it will be amazing to have a few FPS like FP1 FP2 to setup the car nicely and then be fully comfortable going into qualifying for everyone and to really get the best out of it. But that's how it is they chose to do here," he added.
With 400 points in his arsenal, Max Verstappen is ready to clinch his third championship, where he leads teammate Sergio Perez by a margin of 177 points. The 2023 Drivers' Championship has been one of the most dominant seasons in the Dutchman’s F1 career.
The two-time champion has only two second-place finishes throughout the season and one fifth-place finish at the Singapore GP, which is his lowest finish of 2023.
