In the hottest and windiest Grand Prix of the year (33ºC at the time of the Sprint and gusts of about 25 km/h), in the desert on the outskirts of Doha, Max Verstappen has everything in his sights today to become three-time world champion of F-1. Yes, today, on Saturday (at 7:30 p.m., Spanish time), courtesy of the Sprint race, the fourth of the year, which takes place at the Qatar GP.
He would have to do very poorly in the short race, 19 laps, so that the third consecutive world title would have to be delayed for the Dutchman, who, with 177 points ahead of Checo Pérez, would only need to finish 6th (regardless of what the Mexican does); that is, add three more points. Even without scoring he could be crowned, if Pérez does not get on the podium.
More correctly, if Pérez finishes in the top three, since in the Sprint there is no podium or champagne ceremony. For this reason, Verstappen would once again celebrate his title in an atypical way, without getting on the box to celebrate his crown (if F-1 does not improvise some ceremony in his honor). The first title, in 2021, came almost unexpectedly, with tension, controversy and a claim from Mercedes for the absurdity of the laps in the last lap, and the second throne, last year, with the confusion in the distribution of points in the water race in Japan (the FIA did not clarify that he was champion until minutes after winning).
In Qatar, Verstappen – who led Friday's free practice ahead of Sainz, Leclerc, Alonso and Pérez, 5th – would be an atypical champion as he is the first to be crowned in a Sprint race (introduced in 2021), that is , a non-main test of a Grand Prix. And he would also be unique for doing it on Saturday.
Although it would not be the first: before him, the title was awarded six times without it being a Sunday. The last time, in 1987, when Nelson Piquet became three-time champion on a Friday due to an accident and the loss of Nigell Mansell. Curiously, the Brazilian did not celebrate any of his three titles on a Sunday (the 1981 and 1983 titles were played on a Saturday).
The other three drivers who were not crowned on Sunday were Brabham (1959), Graham Hill (1962) and Keke Rosberg (1982).
