The Dutchman will wrap up the title with a sixth-placed finish or better in Saturday’s sprint race.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TOOK pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix as the indomitable Dutchman closes in on his third world title.
In terms of the championship mathematics, Verstappen’s pole lap for Sunday’s main event will be redundant if he secures three points in Saturday’s sprint – the starting order for which will be determined by a second qualifying session here on Saturday afternoon – or Sergio Perez fails finish inside the top three. The probability of both are high.
— Formula 1 October 6, 2023 Perez threatened to fight Verstappen for the championship by winning two of the opening four rounds of the season, but the Mexican’s challenge has faded. He has not won since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30, with Verstappen winning 11 of the next dozen races. Qualifying did not pass without incident for the 26-year-old following a duel with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, who, like Perez, was a surprise casualty in Q2.