#F1 Qatar Airways #QatarGP 2023 Preview. #QatarGrandPrix #Formula1
Formula 1 Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix 2021 Race Start, Losail International Circuit, Lusail, Al Daayen, Qatar. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. 2023 Qatar GP Preview, F1 Qatar GP Preview, Qatar Grand Prix Preview, Andretti F1 Qatar Preview.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – After Max Verstappen edged ever closer to his third world driver’s crown with victory at the Japanese GP and helping Red Bull to clinch their sixth Constructors Championship title, round 18 of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the Losail International Circuit in Lusail, Al Daayen, Qatar for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023. This weekend features the fourth Sprint Format of the season with the United States & Brazilian Grands Prix the final two races that will host a Sprint round.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – A Look At The Losail International Circuit
Losail International Circuit is a permanent racing facility located just outside in the town of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar.
Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers at the cost of $58 million US dollars, the track opened in 2004 and hosted the inaugural 2004 Qatar Motorcycle Grand Prix, won by Spaniard Sete Gibernau.
The track is 5.419 kilometres (3.367 miles) in length, with a main straight of 1,068 metres (3,504 ft). It is surrounded by artificial grass to stop the sand encroaching on the track.
In 2007, Losail installed permanent outdoor lighting for night racing. At the time, the lighting of the Losail Circuit by Musco Lighting was the largest permanent venue sports lighting project in the world, a title, which now belongs to another Persian Gulf motorsport facility, the Yas Marina Circuit in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The first night race in MotoGP history was the season-opening 2008 Qatar Motorcycle Grand Prix in March 2008.
In February 2009, a GP2 Asia Series night race took place at the circuit with the qualifying lap record posted by Nico Hulkenberg with a 1:35.741.
The World Superbike Championship visited Losail in 2005–2009 and 2014–2019; whilst the World Touring Car Championship visited the venue in 2015–2017.
The Formula 1 Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix 2021 took the place of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix after the event in Melbourne was cancelled for the second time due to the coronavirus plague.
This is the fourth night race on the Formula 1 calendar following the Singapore, Bahrain and Sakhir Grands Prix. The Inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix (the penultimate round of the championship) will be the fifth night race on the Formula 1 calendar.
The circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 5.419km (3.367 miles) in length with 16 corners.
The race distance is 308.611 kilometres (191.762 miles) with 57 laps in total.
Two-time World Driver’s Champion Max Verstappen holds the record of the fastest lap from the inaugural event in 2021 on the former layout, posting a 1:23.196 in his Oracle Red Bull Racing Honda RB16B.
Sir Lewis Hamilton was the winner of the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix for Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – Onboard Pole Lap Of The Losail International Circuit
Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Losail International from the 2021 inaugural event, with seven-time Sir Lewis Hamilton setting a 1:20.827 in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team F1 F1 W11 E Performance Racer. You can watch the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcmXtkppRY
2023 Qatar GP Preview – Tyres
As in the 2021 event, Pirelli will be bringing with them to Qatar, the hardest compounds in its range. The C1 white side-walled Hard compounds, the C2 yellow-marked Medium tyres and the C3 red-branded Soft rubber. F1’s sole tyre supplier will also take along the green-branded Intermediates and the blue-branded Wet tyres in case of rain.
All drivers will have eight sets of the C3 softs, three sets of the C2 mediums and two of the C1 hards.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – DRS Zones
There will be just one DRS zone at the Losail International Circuit with the DRS Detection Zone just before the final corner with the Activation Zone from the beginning of the main straight.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits
Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.
ICYMI: 2023 Japanese GP Race Report: Red Bull seal sixth Constructors title as Verstappen takes victory
Championship leader Max Verstappen lead from start-to-finish to score a dominant 13th victory of the season at the Japanese GP, securing Red Bull their sixth World Constructor’s Championship as McLaren pairing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed the podium.
The victory sees Verstappen on the verge of his third consecutive World Driver’s Championship title after his lead increased to 177 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who retired from the race on lap 15 but came out to serve the five-second time penalty following his collision with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen at the Casio Hairpin before retiring again.
When the 53-lap Japanese GP began, pole-sitter Verstappen got the slight jump over the McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris into turn one with the former holding off Norris into turn two to keep the lead.
Behind the Dutchman, Norris found his way past his McLaren team-mate Piastri to take second place as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz jumped up to fifth.
Further down the back, replays showed Alpine’s Esteban Ocon drift wide and sent Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas wide and he hit Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon quite heavily with debris scattered all over just before turn one bringing out the safety car.
Red Bull’s Perez & Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton also made contact with the former damaging his front wing.
Both Bottas and Perez came in to change their damaged front wings and emerged down in 18th and at the rear respectively.
When the race went back to green on lap five, Verstappen made a solid getaway and run down the main-straight into turn one.
Mercedes George Russell was tucked behind his damage inflicted F1 W14 entry team-mate of Lewis Hamilton and made his way ahead of his fellow British-compatriot on the inside into the Casio Triangle chicane, but Hamilton countered his team-mate and passed Russell around the outside into turn one to reclaim seventh place.
At the beginning of lap six, Verstappen held a 1.763 gap over Norris with Piastri third, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth and Sainz rounding out the top five.
Further down the field, Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant suffered a lock-up into the hairpin sending Bottas into a spin with both drivers returning to the pits for a second time as the latter pitted to retire early.
On lap 10, Verstappen’s lead increased to 3.028 seconds over Norris with Piastri holding third, Leclerc fourth and Sainz completing the top five.
Perez and Sargeant both received five-second timed penalties for a safety car infringement and causing a collision respectively.
On lap 12, Alonso pitted from sixth place for a fresh set of hards and emerged in 14th place behind Albon.
Perez suffered a lock-up into the Casio Hairpin and went front-on into Magnussen sending the Dane into a spin scattering debris as both drivers came into pit.
The 14th tour saw the virtual safety deployed to clear debris as Piastri took the opportunity to take a free pit-stop for a fresh set of hards to undercut the Ferrari’s and came out in ninth.
The virtual safety car ended early on lap 14 with Verstappen and Norris rounding turn 13.
Perez was forced to retire on lap 15 due to an undriveable car being the second casualty of the Grand Prix.
On the 17th tour, race leader Verstappen pitted to switch the mediums for hards and came out in fifth place ahead of Piastri whilst Hamilton also put on a fresh set of hards and emerged in 10th place behind Alonso.
On lap 18, Norris pitted from the lead along with Leclerc for a set of hards and mediums respectively with the former coming out in seventh and the latter in ninth.
Sainz followed suit from P1 and stopped on lap 19th, also for a fresh set of mediums to emerge in eighth place as Leclerc overtook Alonso for sixth into turn one as the Singapore GP winner came out of the pits.
Verstappen made is way back into the lead passing Russell on the rundown into Spoon Corner with Leclerc doing the same to Ocon to take fifth place.
On the 20th tour, Verstappen was 1.124 seconds clear of the yet-to-pit Russell with the two McLaren’s of Piastri and Norris third and fourth respectively as Leclerc rounded out the top five.
Sainz was tucked right behind Alonso in the battle for seventh and got ahead of his fellow Spanish compatriot to take the position on the run into Spoon corner and at the beginning of lap 21, the former breezed his way ahead of Ocon to take sixth place on the main-straight.
Hamilton followed suit passing his former McLaren team-mate Alonso down the inside into the fast 130R to take eighth and then passed Ocon on the inside into turn one to grab seventh place.
On lap 25, Verstappen’s gap increased to 10.924 seconds over Piastri with Norris third, Leclerc in fourth as Sainz rounded out the top five.
Russell came in from second and came out in ninth behind Alonso for a fresh set of the C1 harder compounds.
Russell made short work of Alonso to take eighth as the battle of the two McLaren’s for second place intensified.
Lap 27 saw Piastri and Norris swap positions to cover the charging Mercedes of Russell whilst Albon was called into retire the car.
A tour later, Verstappen’s gap up was 12.909 seconds over Norris with Piastri taking third, Leclerc in fourth as Sainz completed the top five.
Lap 29, saw Alonso make a lunge up the inside of AlphaTauri’s home favourite Yuki Tsunoda at the Casio Hairpin and went side-by-side of the Japanese driver heading towards Spoon corner and passed the AT04 to take ninth place.
With 20 laps remaining, Verstappen’s lead increased over second-placed Norris to 14.666 seconds as Piastri was a further 5.042 adrift of his McLaren team-mate holding third as the two Ferrari’s of Leclerc and Sainz were fourth and fifth respectively.
On lap 35, Leclerc made his second stop of the race for a fresh set of hards with Hamilton stopping also for a set of the white-branded hards and came out in sixth and seventh respectively.
A lap later, McLaren reacted from third place to pit Piastri and the Australian came out in-front of sixth place Leclerc.
The next tour saw Norris make his final stop for a fresh set of hards and emerged in fourth place behind Russell.
On lap 38, Verstappen pitted from the lead to also take on a fresh set of the C1 Pirelli hards and came out 28.240 seconds ahead of the yet-to-pit for the second time Sainz.
The 39th tour saw Sainz pit to take on a set of the harder compounds and emerged in eighth place behind Hamilton as Norris overtook Russell for second place.
With 13 laps left, Verstappen’s lead was 15.540 seconds over Norris with Russell third, Piastri close behind the Mercedes in fourth as Leclerc completed the top five.
On lap 42, in the fight for third place, a thrilling side-by-side battle beforehand between Russell and Piastri into the Casio Triangle Chicane, which Russell managed to keep the Australian behind until Piastri got into the slipstream of Russell on the main-straight and passed the Mercedes around the outside into turn one after.
With ten tours remaining, race leader Verstappen was 16.351 seconds ahead of Norris with Piastri in third as Russell and Leclerc’s battle for fourth intensified with the Ferrari right behind the Mercedes.
Leclerc also found his way into the slipstream of Russell with DRS assistance down the main-straight and went around the outside of the F1 W14 into the first corner and overtook the Briton for fourth place.
On lap 48, the battle for fifth place saw Russell, Hamilton and Sainz all close to each other with Hamilton responding: “We’re both going to lose these positions.”
A tour later Hamilton jumped on the side of team-mate Russell to take fifth place leaving the latter with the fresher tyred-Ferrari of Sainz right on the Briton’s tail.
Sainz with DRS assistance overtook Russell down the main-straight easily to take fifth place.
Verstappen crossed the line to claim the Japanese GP victory and clinch Red Bull’s sixth Constructor’s Championship crown, finishing 19.387 seconds clear of Norris as Piastri secured the final podium place.
Ferrari pairing Leclerc and Sainz came home in fourth and sixth respectively as Mercedes duo Hamilton and Russell took fifth and seventh places in the classification.
Aston Martin’s Alonso settled for eighth in-front of Alpine pairing Ocon and Pierre Gasly who rounded out the top ten.
AlphaTauri duo Liam Lawson and home favourite Yuki Tsunoda finished in 11th and 12th respectively as Haas duo Hulkenberg and Magnussen placed 13th and 14th and were the last of the runners.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – The Situation
Max Verstappen is on the verge of securing his third consecutive World Driver’s Championship crown, which could be all locked in the Sprint Race on Saturday at the returning Qatar GP.
Verstappen holds a 177 point-gap over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, with only 180 points on offer in the remaining six Grands Prix.
This means sixth place or higher for the Dutchman in the Sprint this Saturday at the Losail International Circuit will be enough to secure the title, no matter what Perez does.
Red Bull sealed the Constructor’s Championship last time out in Suzuka and Verstappen will be looking to win in Qatar for the first time, having finished second behind Lewis Hamilton at the inaugural event in 2021.
McLaren should be strong again and will be aiming to repeat their double podium with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, whilst Mercedes and Ferrari are set to continue their big battle for second place in the Constructor’s Championship.
Verstappen heads to Qatar on top of World Driver’s Championship with 400 points and a 177-point lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who is second on 223 points whilst Lewis Hamilton is a further 210 behind the Dutchman in third on 190 points.
Oracle Red Bull Racing comes to Lusail with the World Constructors Championship wrapped up and on 623 points and a 318-point advantage over nearest rivals Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team who are second on 305 points whilst Scuderia Ferrari are third and a further 338 points behind the Milton Keynes based-outfit on 285 points.
2023 Qatar GP Preview – FIA Approves Andretti Formula Racing LLC Application
On Monday, following the conclusion of a comprehensive application process for prospective teams aiming to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the sport’s governing body, the FIA, has concluded the application of Andretti Formula Racing LLC should progress to the next stage.
Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only candidate to meet the criteria, which was set by the FIA in all material aspects of all the four teams, which lodged in formal applications in phase two of the process. The initial call for expressions of interest (Phase 1) attracted numerous enquiries, which resulted in four being chosen to progress to Phase 2.
The FIA officially informed the applicants of their findings through a thorough evaluation.
Following the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile’s call for expressions of interest back in February, they applied a robust process of due diligence during, which the applicants were assessed on sporting and technical ability, with the ability of the teams to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the sport at a competitive level along with the team’s experience and human resources.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained: “The FIA was very clear in establishing stringent criteria for entry from the outset of the Expressions of Interest procedure. Our objective, after rigorous due diligence during the application phase, was to only approve prospective entries which satisfied the set criteria and illustrated that they would add value to the sport,”
“The FIA is obliged to approve applications that comply with the Expressions of Interests application requirements, and we have adhered to that procedure in deciding that Andretti Formula Racing LLC’s application would proceed to the next stage of the application process. In taking that decision, the FIA is acting in accordance with EU directives on motor sport participation and development,”
“Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only entity which fulfils the selection criteria that was set in all material respects. I congratulate Michael Andretti and his team on a thorough submission. I also want to thank all prospective teams for their interest and participation,”
“The Expressions of Interest process builds on the positive acceptance of the FIA’s 2026 F1 Power Unit Regulations among existing OEMs which has also attracted further commitment from Audi, Honda and Ford and interest from Porsche and General Motors,”
“I would like to thank all of the FIA team members involved in the Expressions of Interest process for their tireless efforts in ensuring a diligent assessment of all of the applications received.” Concluded Sulayem. Credit to FIA for the quote.
The criteria also included sustainability in line with the FIA’s ambition of achieving Formula 1’s goals for net-zero by 2030. Any prospective Formula One team were also required to show how they intend to achieve a positive societal impact through its participation in the pinnacle of sport.
As part of the agreed process of the Expressions of Interest Protocol, the FIA’s findings on Andretti Formula Racing LLC’s submission will now be passed onto Formula One Management for commercial discussions.
Click here for the 2023 Formula 1 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructors Championship Standings
The Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023 weekend begins Friday October 6 with Free Practice 1 and Qualifying, followed by the Sprint Shootout and the 100km F1 Sprint Race Saturday October 7 and the 57 lap Race Sunday October 8.
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