F1 | QATAR GP, MINARDI “A MENTAL BATTLE BETWEEN NORRIS-VERSTAPPE AND PIASTRI”

From the desert of Las Vegas to that of Doha for the twenty third and penultimate round of the World Championship. After the results in Nevada, Max Verstappen has joined the battle for the title, alongside Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with the British driver leading the trio by 24 points. That is certainly not a small margin, but it is a not huge one either, considering that there are still two GPs and a sprint race to go.

The sixth and last Spring Race will take place in Qatar. This means that the drivers and teams will have only one session of free practice available to get to grips with the tyres and to prepare the racing cars for qualifying and the Sprint itself. Something to also bear in mind is that the grip levels of the track change significantly and can alter the behaviour of the cars.

This weekend the tyres will play an even more important role. Pirelli has brought the hardest compounds, C1, C2 and C3, and has also stipulated that each set cannot cover more than 25 laps of the Losail circuit. This is limit is calculated across all the sessions, including any laps under neutralization. This scenario paves the way for strategies with at least two stops but could even push some teams to consider three.

The reason is linked to the characteristics of the track. Losail is a circuit full of medium-fast corners and long wide curves that put a lot of strain on the front right tyre in particular, as well as a very long main straight that requires an aerodynamic compromise that is anything but simple. The management of the traffic will be a key factor because, despite the DRS, overtaking cannot be taken for granted; starting at the front in qualifying will be crucial to putting together a solid weekend.

Complicating all this even further will be the weather: intense heat, high humidity and a physical exertion comparable to that of the Singapore GP. In the past, Qatar has already shown that it is an extreme race with drivers severely tested by dehydration and heat stress. Therefore, physical fitness will be a crucial variable in both the Sprint Race and the long race.

The final element that should not be underestimated is the possible entry of the safety car, which is always a threat on a circuit that punishes mistakes and with such delicate strategies, could shake things up at any moment.

So, mental focus will also be decisive, especially for the top three in the World Championship. Verstappen, buoyed by his latest wins and comeback; Norris called upon to defend his lead with composure and Piastri who will try to overcome his difficult period.

Gian Carlo Minardi