Will Verstappen strike back? Questions & Answers before Doha

Does Lewis Hamilton have the advantage again after his Brazil victory? Maybe not, but the Mercedes star has every reason to be confident about world title number eight again. Last weekend in South America was his toughest, said the 36-year-old against the background of a real series of punishments. But at the same time it was “definitely one of the best weekends, if not the best weekend, that I have experienced in my entire career”. Hamilton impressed with sensational drives and seems more than ready for a highly dramatic end to the season. Will Max Verstappen strike back with his debut victory in Qatar? Nobody can really say because none of the drivers know the course north of Doha sufficiently. There doesn't seem to be a clear favorite. So far it has only been possible to test in the simulator; on Friday the 5,38 kilometer long route will take place for the first time. Driving takes place under floodlights on weekends. Until now, there had only been races for the motorcycle world championship at the Losail International Circuit since 2004. Because it was not possible to drive in Australia due to the Corona situation, Qatar stepped in at very short notice. How fierce will the title duel be in the final spurt? It is clear that neither Mercedes nor Verstappen's Red Bull team can offer anything from their long-term rivals. The Silver Arrows protested on Tuesday against a decision by the race stewards in favor of Verstappen in Brazil. A review of the tough duel at the Grand Prix on Sunday, when Verstappen pushed Hamilton off the track, was subsequently requested. Mercedes cited the emergence of new evidence as the reason for the objection. If Verstappen is subsequently punished, he could possibly slip back in the race standings and thus lose further points to the lurking world champion.

Will it be a one-off trip to Qatar for Formula 1? No. A ten-year contract has already been signed, but this is only valid from 2023. Next year the entourage will not travel to the desert state because the World Cup will take place there. After that, the World Cup race belongs firmly in the calendar. “The vision that Formula 1 should be the flagship event for Qatar after the 2022 World Cup was the driving force for the long-term commitment,” Formula 1 itself announced after the long-term agreement was signed. Will the issue of human rights be discussed before the Grand Prix? At least that's what Amnesty International wants and appealed: "The drivers and their teams should be prepared to draw attention to human rights in Qatar in the run-up to this race." The country has been facing international criticism for years due to the disregard for human rights and the exploitation of migrant workers in criticism. There will be no muzzle for the drivers; everyone will be allowed to express themselves critically on any topic, according to the local organizers. It seems possible that Hamilton and former world champion Sebastian Vettel will comment on the situation around the emirate at the official press conferences on Thursday.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Will Verstappen strike back? Questions & Answers before Doha

Suggestions

Comments (0)