2024 F1 Qatar GP: Preview and Predictions
The 2024 F1 Qatar GP is the second-to-last race of the season as the curtain falls on a very interesting F1 year. Max Verstappen is already crowned the driver's champion, but we still have Ferrari and McLaren fighting to secure the Constructors Championship.
The season has been a shocker in many ways. It wasn't expected to be that competitive when Red Bull brought out a car that seemed to be in a different league compared to its competition. That, however, changed as the season progressed and the competition closed up. Even in the last six races, we've had six different winners, and that should tell you everything about how competition level on the grid.
In what would be the second-to-last race of the season and, at the same time, the last sprint weekend for the year, the F1 circus heads to the Losail International Circuit, where the race would be held. With the driver's title sealed already, and Max Verstappen in all probability turning up with a hangover, what can we expect from the race weekend? Let's take a look.
2024 F1 Qatar GP: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 The swift change in focus to the constructors championship
Up until Las Vegas, the focus was on the driver's championship, even though it was more or less a mere formality after Brazil. With that title sealed, the focus would now move to the constructors championship because there is still plenty at stake in that one as well.
Since 2009, when Brawn GP won the constructors championship, we have not had a non-Red Bull/Mercedes champion. To add to this, both Ferrari and McLaren are also trying to end what has been a 16-year drought for them. There's still a lot at stake this season, and we will see it play out at the Qatar GP this weekend.
#2 Lewis Hamilton's last two races at Mercedes
The year was 2012 when Lewis Hamilton took the call to switch from McLaren to Mercedes. The decision has been surprisingly successful, as the driver has won six titles with the team. With the partnership coming to an end this year, there's undoubtedly going to be a certain element of nostalgia attached to the last two races as the iconic partnership winds down.
#3 Red Bull's pecking order position
While Helmut Marko appears to be optimistic about Red Bull's chances of a strong result in Qatar, the question is, what does that strong result look like? Are we looking at the team securing a win? Are we looking at a scenario where Max Verstappen fights for the podium at the F1 Qatar GP?
It's interesting because now with the 2024 F1 season title battle wrapped up, the focus will be on the competitiveness of the Red Bull, which is still on shaky ground.
Form Guide
On Form
We'd have to give a shout-out to George Russell not only for what he did at Mercedes in Las Vegas but also because he was brilliant in Brazil as well. There's an argument to be made that if there had been no red flag stoppage, Russell would have won the race.
Heading to the F1 Qatar GP, George, now a two-time winner, has now finally established himself as the lead Mercedes contender. He had a decent race in Qatar the last time around; it will be interesting to see how he fares this year.
Out of form
It's almost unfair to continue to talk about Sergio Perez's struggles because they have been a common feature for the last few years. The Mexican is in an impossible position at Red Bull, where the entire team's focus would be on his teammate, but at the same time, he's worked himself into this situation as well.
One could almost see the writing on the wall when it comes to his stint at Red Bull.
2024 F1 Qatar GP: Predictions
Who will win the race?
Fast-speed sections are one of the key traits of the circuit, and one car that stands out above everyone else is McLaren. The car was brilliant even last season when Red Bull was dominating every race.
For the 2024 F1 Qatar GP, we expect McLaren to hold its key advantage with Lando Norris clinching the win.
Surprise of the weekend (Team)
Red Bull winning the race in Brazil was a surprise, but what was also interesting to note was that the car was quite impressive in the long, fast-speed sections irrespective of the weather. For the F1 Qatar GP, the track layout tends to lean more into it, and that's exactly what would help Max Verstappen to be in contention for the podium.
The reigning champions are still in contention for the title even though they are the outsiders compared to McLaren and Ferrari. But a surprise strong result at the F1 Qatar GP could bring them back into contention.
Surprise of the weekend (Driver)
Oscar Piastri has seemingly taken a step back recently compared to his teammate Lando Norris in terms of performance. The Australian has been a step behind the Brit in the last few races, and the gap has shown big time.
He is, however, coming to a track where McLaren is expected to be competitive and to add to it, he did win the sprint race here last season. Expect Piastri to be the dark horse when it comes to winning the F1 Qatar GP.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
The feature of the Losail International Circuit is the long, fast-speed sections. That is one area where Ferrari tends to struggle quite a bit, and that could play a role in them falling back a little in the pecking order for the F1 Qatar GP.
Ferrari might struggle to make it to the podium this weekend as cars like McLaren and Red Bull could be a step ahead of others.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
The Las Vegas GP was a race where Mercedes was almost on rails. The car worked like a charm, and it was the class of the field. The car should be decently competitive in the F1 Qatar GP as well but probably not enough for a podium finish. It would take a lot of effort to extract the best possible laptime from the car.
Now, that's one area where George Russell has excelled this season. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton has found it a bit of a struggle. We might see a repeat of that as the F1 legend once again struggles to keep up with his teammate.