2023 Qatar Grand Prix

Championship standings

Verstappen leads by 177 points over Pérez. Hamilton is third, a further 33 back. Red Bull, having clinched the Constructors’ Championship at Suzuka, lead Mercedes by 318 points, with Ferrari a further 20 behind.

Previous race

At Suzuka, Verstappen won from pole and led comfortably to give Red Bull Racing their sixth Constructors’ Championship, their second in a row. Norris and Piastri completed the podium for McLaren — the team’s first double podium since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, and Piastri’s maiden Formula One podium. Pérez had a collision with Hamilton at the start and was forced to take two new front wings before retiring.

Championship permutations

Verstappen can secure his third consecutive Drivers’ Championship at this sprint weekend. He clinches the title if he finishes sixth or higher in the sprint, provided Pérez wins. Even without scoring in the sprint, Verstappen only needs to finish eighth in the Grand Prix — regardless of Pérez’s result — to wrap up the title.

Sprint format

This is the fourth sprint weekend of the season. Qatar returns to the calendar after its absence in 2022, when the country hosted the FIFA World Cup; this marks the first Qatar Grand Prix to have been part of a season’s original schedule from the outset.

Entrants

Liam Lawson continues at AlphaTauri in place of Ricciardo.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the C1, C2, and C3 compounds — designated hard, medium, and soft. Following analysis of tyre condition after free practice, Pirelli has tyre safety concerns linked to the track’s kerbs at turns 12 and 13. The track limits at those corners are altered before the sprint shootout in response. An additional ten-minute acclimatisation session is added to the Saturday schedule to allow drivers to assess the revised circuit. Should tyre concerns persist following the sprint, the FIA is prepared to introduce a maximum stint length for Sunday’s race.

Practice

The single free practice session is topped by Verstappen ahead of the two Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc.