to dutch Max Verstappen He didn’t need to go to this Sunday’s race. Becoming the champion of the Formula 1 World Cup again, It is the third year in a row. He needed second place in Saturday’s sprint race to defend his title.
It was better for the precocious and insatiable Verstappen, who turned 26 a week ago, to finish sixth; or teammate, Mexican Sergio Pérez failed to finish among the top three in the reduced test. And as ‘Checo’ was forced to abandon the race in the eleventh of 19 laps after being taken out of the race by Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and German Nico Hülkenberg (Haas), who had collided earlier, the Dutch star claimed his third title in a row even before the court case was concluded.
It was to be the same as finishing sixth was enough and he finished second behind his Australian rival. Oscar PiastriWho was the winner of a sprint? the other one McLarenEngland’s Lando Norris came third. Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished fifth in the reduced bumpy test, which required entry to the circuit with three safety cars; and Asturian double world champion Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), who could not make it into the eight scorers, had to settle for ninth place.
Speaking to EFE at the official press conference held by the FIA (International Automobile Federation) in Lusail this Saturday, Verstappen said: “Everything he has accomplished is beyond anything he could have ever imagined.” and that it was a “perfect” thing for him, admitting at the same conference that he “learned that Checo had retired and that he was already a world champion during filming.” However, in the purest ‘Mad Max’ style‘He explained that he was only thinking of winning the sprint at the time.
Although he logically accepts thatand I’ll have a few drinks, vowed to be “here again” this Sunday to claim his fourteenth victory of the season from pole position, which would leave him just one shy of his own record for wins at the same track. Talented and intelligent; and driving the nearly invincible car designed by star British engineer Adrian Newey, a true guru of aerodynamics who doesn’t even know where his own roof is.
If anyone has any questions, Verstappen had already submitted his declaration of interest on Friday.when he topped all time tables except the second qualifying round; He made the only concession of the day, ceding a tenth to Briton Lewis Hamilton (fifth this Saturday from Mercedes, behind teammate and compatriot George Russell).
This, at night, before sealing ‘pole’ position for this Sunday’s race – his thirtieth since racing in F1 and his tenth this season – and in the afternoon, after being fastest in his first and only free race. Training for the fourth of six sprint format weekends of the season.