Qatar Grand Prix – Race perspectives
With only three Grand Prix left to compete, the race in Losail could prove decisive in the battle for the title between the two main contenders as the dynamics are not the same at the end of the season. Here are the prospects for the Qatar Grand Prix.
Will Hamilton surf on the Brazilian wave?
Since the Grand Prix of Brazil, Lewis Hamilton seems to have finally fully regained his high-flying competitive level, greatly helped by his new engine installed in São Paulo. Regardless, the crazy comeback he made twice in addition to the titanic battle won against a great Max Verstappen clearly shows the British driver’s renewed confidence.
On this trajectory, the seven-time world champion authoritatively clinched his 102nd career pole position this afternoon, surpassing his Dutch rival by over 5 tenths of a second.
The start will be crucial tomorrow, on a physically demanding circuit where overtaking is expected to be relatively difficult. With a new victory, Hamilton would start a new virtuous cycle by closing the gap with Verstappen and putting additional pressure on him in the final sprint.
As a reminder, on the last three circuits where he put the wheels for the first time (Imola, Mugello, and Portimão in 2020), Hamilton has consistently won. Will the series continue? Answer this Sunday around 5 p.m.!
Will Gasly finally put AlphaTauri ahead of Alpine?
Considered rightly as the “Best of the rest”, Pierre Gasly once again performed magnificently this weekend. On a circuit highlighting the qualities of his AlphaTauri, the Normand brilliantly qualified in 4th place, being surpassed only by the two Mercedes and Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Ideally positioned to hope for an excellent result, Gasly could enable his AlphaTauri team to overtake Alpine in the constructors’ standings this weekend, as the two protagonists are currently tied in the standings (Alpine leading AlphaTauri thanks to Esteban Ocon’s Hungarian victory).
However, be careful not to overdrive: the French driver made a mistake in his last attempt in Q3, costing him his front wing and a puncture. The kind of blunder to avoid for the race.
Will Alonso climb back on the podium?
What a performance from the Spanish veteran! Fifth on the starting grid, the “Bull of Asturias” impressed on Saturday by beating Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, who are on machines known to be superior to the Alpine.
Regular on Sunday comebacks, the two-time world champion no doubt has his best chance to step onto the podium this season if one of the favorites encounters a problem.
Let’s remember that our colleague Gaëtan Vigneron, who likes to call him Ami Fernand, has not stepped on an F1 podium since 2014. Could this be the end of the drought for the Alpine driver?
Perez / Leclerc/ Ricciardo: will they manage to make a comeback?
Three drivers that we are not used to seeing so far back on the grid, although Ricciardo has been more accustomed to this situation this season. Qualified respectively 11th, 13th, and 14th, these three friends will have the difficult task of trying to move up on a circuit where the overtaking zones are limited to approximately only turn 1 at the end of the DRS straight.
It is, however, crucial within the framework of the constructors’ championship that these three drivers score points, especially for Sergio Pérez, who could cost his team dearly if he were to have a blank result this weekend.
Fortunately, looking at the positive side, they will be the first drivers alongside Lance Stroll to have the choice of tires. An important aspect on this abrasive circuit.
