Verstappen’s Third Formula One Title Caps A Dominant Season For Dutch Driver And Red Bull

LOSAIL, Qatar——— Max Verstappen has secured the Formula One championship for the third consecutive year following his second-place finish in the sprint race held in Qatar on Saturday.

The season has been one of record dominance for Red Bull and Verstappen. Early in the season, Sergio Perez appeared capable of challenging his teammate. However, a series of qualifying errors left him far behind before Verstappen won the tournament in Qatar on Saturday.

Listed below are significant events that influenced the season:

Red Bull was the undisputed favorite before the start of the season, as both Perez and Verstappen had established fast times during testing in Bahrain. After the reintroduction of ground-effect aerodynamics in Formula One, Red Bull’s car was the quickest in 2022 and maintained that advantage in 2023. Red Bull’s first race of the season at the Sakhir circuit resulted in a resounding 1-2 victory for Verstappen over Perez. Aston Martin’s third-place finisher, Fernando Alonso, was 38 seconds behind the leader.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was won by Perez in April, giving him and Verstappen two victories each from the initial four races. However, Verstappen maintained a narrow lead in the standings. “We are in the fight,” Perez’s team was informed. Verstappen recovered to win the subsequent race in Miami despite starting ninth and being in pole position with Perez. Subsequently, Perez encountered difficulties qualifying for subsequent competitions, and he has not achieved victory in any competition since.

Verstappen’s Third Formula One Title Caps A Dominant Season For Dutch Driver And Red Bull.

In response to Perez’s declining performance, Verstappen increased his efforts. He won on nearly every type of track, from Monaco’s narrow, winding streets to the high-speed British Silverstone circuit. Not a single victory was even close. Verstappen’s September victory at the Italian Grand Prix marked his tenth consecutive victory, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record.

With fourteen of the twenty-two races completed and he is seemingly unassailable, there was speculation that Red Bull would be the first team in F1 history to win every race of the season. However, for reasons the team needed help to fully articulate, the car and setup were unsuitable for the Singapore street circuit. While Perez placed eighth and Verstappen placed fifth, Carlos Sainz Jr. secured the first victory for Ferrari since July 2022.

Verstappen’s Third Formula One Title Caps A Dominant Season For Dutch Driver And Red Bull.

Red Bull won the constructors’ championship in Japan last month, and Verstappen, who had to finish at least sixth to secure the drivers’ championship, fought his way to second place in the sprint in Qatar. Despite being the sole driver mathematically capable of surpassing Verstappen in the standings, Perez was a mere spectator following his elimination from the race following a collision with Esteban Ocon.

Following Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, five more rounds of the season will be completed. Not including sprints, Verstappen has amassed 13 victories and requires three more to surpass his previous F1 record of 15 victories in a single season and establish a new record of 16. For the first time since 1982, Formula One will return to Las Vegas in November, competing on a new circuit incorporating the Las Vegas Strip. The season concludes on November 26th with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

SOURCE – (AP)