Qatar, the Penultimate F1 Race with Unfinished Business

The Losail International Circuit hosts the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend, the penultimate event of a Formula 1 season that has been nothing short of epic, particularly through the lens of Netflix's dramatization. With Max Verstappen's dominant start and a late challenge from Lando Norris, strategic battles among teams have resulted in seven different winners—all the major teams except Sergio Pérez. More recently, internal tensions have further ignited the atmosphere on the grid. With the drivers' championship already decided in favour of the Dutchman, attention now turns to the teams, rivalries, and unresolved stories on a track that always offers surprises under the night lights.

Among the battles remaining in the final two races of the 2024 championship, Ferrari arrives in Qatar with a heated atmosphere following the emotional and nearly physical clash at the Las Vegas GP. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, teammates for just two more weeks but long-time rivals on the track, were involved in an episode that highlighted the internal frictions within the Maranello team. Although this skirmish did not harm the Scuderia's aspirations to maintain its position as a contender for the Constructors' title, it did reveal the bad blood between the two drivers.

While Leclerc was aiming for a podium that seemed within reach, Sainz insisted on holding his position, defending what was rightfully his. This rivalry led to a crucial loss of time for both, as neither reached the podium nor could aspire to be more than third. Although Ferrari publicly downplayed the incident, it remains the talk of the paddock. Will Qatar be the stage where these two unfriendly drivers can settle their differences on the track, or will the tension spill over once again?

For Sainz, who has shown consistency and ambition throughout the season despite being sidelined, this race represents an opportunity to reaffirm himself against those who doubt him. Meanwhile, Leclerc will seek to redeem himself and prove that he remains the driver Ferrari trusts for the future, despite Lewis Hamilton likely complicating matters from January onwards.

To a large extent, the absence of pressure for Verstappen, who has nothing at stake, could guarantee uncertainty and spectacle. The Red Bull driver arrives in Losail with nothing to lose and everything to gain in terms of entertainment. After securing his fourth consecutive world championship, Verstappen has shown that even when he has nothing left to prove, he remains a fierce competitor. Recent races have shown him as combative as ever, but without the weight of numbers at stake, we might see a more relaxed Verstappen willing to take risks he avoided in Las Vegas.

For Red Bull, the mission now is to sustain their bid for the Constructors' title, from which they are practically out. The absence of a lacklustre Sergio Pérez, whose best results since summer have been several sixth places, will deprive Red Bull of glory in the team standings as well, where McLaren currently holds the advantage. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they will once again be ahead this weekend, joining the battle with Ferrari, Mercedes, and the newly crowned four-time world champion.

Fernando Alonso is unlikely to be at the top, barring a major surprise. The Asturian driver arrives in Qatar after a season that has been an uphill struggle. In Las Vegas, the Aston Martins were unconditionally slow, nearly becoming the seventh or eighth team out of ten on the grid, and only a strategy as risky as it was inevitable allowed him to hope for the scant reward of a point. In Qatar, where Alonso returned to the podium in 2021 after a seven-year hiatus, he will try to minimize the significant shortcomings that the Aston Martin AMR24 has demonstrated throughout the season.

This will be the last weekend of the year with a sprint format, in a setting that does not seem the most conducive to spectacle. While Qatar is not as dull as Abu Dhabi, where the season finale takes place, the lack of personal motivation for the top drivers could dampen interest in the event.