This article is supposed to be a report from today's sprint race at Losail, but I apologize in advance, reader, if my narrative is focused on just one driver. There Story is what I will tell in the next lines, the history of F1. Verstappen finishes second in the Qatar Sprint, is world champion. Three consecutive world championships, almost a routine in Red Bull, which like a blacksmith forges a sword thinking of the knight, has built a car, the 2023 one, perfect for Max who cuts through every track with elegance, an elegance such as to appear in everyone's eyes of a higher category. "An F1 against F2s” commented Toto Wolff.
Piastri snaps, Norris sinks into quicksand
Piastri who wins the first pole (from qualifying shootout) in career, he starts alongside his teammate, but this time they are not allies against an inconvenient intruder like Verstappen in Suzuka. Here in Losail they are direct opponents, but they are not the ones putting on a show. Piastri starts very well, while Lando Norris seems to be nailed and is overtaken by Russell, Sainz, Leclerc and Verstappen. Sainz had an excellent start as he fought for second position until a safety car put an end to the proceedings. It was caused by a contact between the two Alpha Tauri drivers which forced Liam Lawson to retire.
Excellent break from Piastri which however is pulled away by an excellent George Russell, shortly after the restart, who becomes leader of the sprint race (note the compound difference between the two in favor of the Englishman). But, after just 4 laps, the Safety Car returns to the track due to Logan Sargeant who ends his race in the gravel.
A handful of kilometers to go
George Russell's restart catches Piastri off guard. Lots of movement at the back too, with a very fit Fernando Alonso, Ocon in eighth position maintains the positive line of the season, but eyes are on Max Vertsappen, for whom the third position he conquers after overtaking Leclerc could be enough to be champion. With ten laps to go he doesn't want to settle, he knows that he started with the medium and has an advantage over Russell with the reds, his main opponent is Piastri with the same compound. And just as the temperature rose with the battles between Norris and Leclerc. Here's a third safety car. Contact between Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg, no survivors, all three retired.
Verstappen is world champion in the Qatar Sprint
On the thirteenth lap out of nineteen, Max Verstappen he is third, third like the world championship he is about to reach at that moment, comes the warning from the pits “Forget Piastri, you are champion, just take the car back to the pits.”
Max doesn't answer, is a world champion could he ever be satisfied? At the restart, just 5 laps from the end of the Qatar sprint race, while Leclerc and Norris continue to overtake after overtaking, under the stars of Losail, Max overtakes Russell and goes hunting, he has one last blow to make. They push both to the limit, fast lap after fast lap... but the lion seems to have listened to the tamer for once.
Piastri wins the Qatar sprint, but Max Verstappen is a three-time world champion. Behind a rookie, behind a Mclaren that at the beginning of the season would not have been able to overcome even the safety car. At the same time, however, in front of everyone, in a season that he managed, victory after victory, not even a hesitation, no mistakes. He is the one who wears the mane, only he is the king of the forest in the night of Losail.
