With Max Verstappen needing just a lowly points finish to secure the 2023 Drivers’ title, will the Qatar Grand Prix throw up any surprises?
The MotoGP venue will be hoping to raise its reputation as one of Formula 1’s toughest challenges, with the fast and flowing Lusail International Circuit rewarding smoothness and consistency from both car and driver.
The Lusail International Circuit was opened in 2004 and primarily designed for MotoGP racing, therefore the intention was for Qatar to switch venues for 2023. However, this has been delayed, and Formula 1 returns to Qatar’s second-largest city. Despite initial fears that the difficult-to-follow Formula 1 cars of 2021 would struggle for wheel-to-wheel racing at the Lusail circuit, there were a respectable number of overtakes at the inaugural event.
Whilst the new track surface will be an unknown element for Pirelli and the teams, high-speed nature of the circuit will make the venue one of the most demanding for tyres, even with the event being run as a night race, which only tends to drop the air temperature down to the high-twenties. As a result, Pirelli will be bringing a harder range of available compounds to Qatar; the C1, C2 and C3 tyres.
McLaren’s reinvigorated MCL60 car shone at the high-downforce Suzuka circuit, but they conceded that they still felt their car was lacking in the lower-speed corners compared to Red Bull. With there being fewer low-speed corners at the Lusail International Circuit, they will fancy their chances of getting closer to this season’s runaway leaders. They will just be hoping that historical issues with drag don’t prevent a shot at continued success.
Aston Martin are another team that have favoured the higher-downforce tracks, but their inability to keep up with the development pace of rival teams might mean they fall short of their early season heroics.
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