Formula 1 heads to the penultimate round of the season – and the final sprint event – with the drivers’ title decided but the constructors’ crown still up for grabs.
Here are the talking points for the Qatar Grand Prix.
McLaren to hit back in title fight?
McLaren suffered a setback in their pursuit of the constructors’ championship in Las Vegas, where closest rivals Ferrari out-scored them by 12 points. But they may feel they got off lightly. Mercedes scored an unexpected one-two, denying Ferrari an even bigger points haul on an uncompetitive weekend for the MCL38s.
The contenders expect the pendulum to swing the other way in Losail. “The conditions and circuit in Qatar suit our car well,” said McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. However Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr admitted “I’m a bit worried about Qatar.”
“Turn one and turn three [in Las Vegas] is exactly the type of corner you have in Qatar. Fourth, fifth gear, long combined [steering inputs], which is exactly where we’ve been struggling. And just in that sector to the Merc, we were three tenths off. So if you keep adding those corners up, it could be a tough one for us in Qatar.”
If McLaren are the team to beat in Qatar, they could wrap the title up a week before the finale. One-twos in the sprint race and grand prix, plus the fastest lap, will guarantee them the title regardless of what Ferrari do. If they achieve it, McLaren will have their first championship for 26 years.
Mercedes’ unpredictable performance
Mercedes were surprised by their performance on the cold Las Vegas Strip Circuit with its high speeds and lack of corners. They expected to be stronger in Losail, which is a very different circuit, but one at which they performed well last year.
Just how competitive Mercedes will be this weekend is therefore something of a mystery even to them. Will the all-conquering W15 of last weekend appear, or the one which has more often than not vexed its drivers with unfathomable swings in performance?
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Grid growth
Most F1 teams were strongly opposed to Formula One Management opening the grid up to new competitors. But since the last race came word that the team originated by Andretti, now operating under General Motors’ Cadillac brand, is poised to join as an 11th competitor in 2026, a decade since the last time F1 grids boasted 22 cars.
How will teams react to the deal?…
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