Piastri turns it up in the shootout
McLaren duo snatches Verstappen’s top starting position
October 7, 2023, 4:41 p.m
In the sprint in the evening, Max Verstappen can be crowned world champion in Formula 1 for the third time in a row. But in the shootout he weakens unusually. He is deprived of his best time and both McLaren drivers ultimately race past him.
After the tire confusion in Qatar, Max Verstappen has the so-called shootout for the sprint (7.30 p.m./Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) Unusual weaknesses have been shown, but the chances of his World Cup crowning in the evening are still excellent. The Red Bull star set the fastest time, but this was revoked because he exceeded the route limits. In the second attempt, with worn tires and a clean lap, Verstappen “only” achieved third place on the grid behind the McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, but he started five positions ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez. Nico Hülkenberg from Emmerich achieved an impressive seventh place in the Haas.
Verstappen has won 13 of the 16 Grands Prix of the year so far and is 177 points ahead of Perez in the World Championship. Even if the Mexican were to win the short race from eighth on the grid, Verstappen’s sixth place would be enough to crown him early.
Tire problems delay start
For safety reasons, an additional ten-minute training session was scheduled before the session and the qualification for the sprint was postponed by 20 minutes. The reason: Exclusive supplier Pirelli had routinely checked the tires for various safety parameters on Friday evening, and it was discovered that the tread on the sidewall was detached from the carcass on several sets. The trigger was “probably” the curbs decorated with small pyramids and the inclination of the curbs, according to a statement from the FIA. The route boundaries in the fast corners 12 and 13 were therefore changed at short notice.
The fact that the safety risk was not recognized in advance by the tire manufacturer, the operator of the renovated track and the race management was “ultimately embarrassing,” commented Haas team boss Günther Steiner. After the sprint race, Pirelli wants to carry out additional analysis to decide whether before the Grand Prix on Sunday (19/Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) further measures are required. If so, drivers would be required to make at least three pit stops in the 57-lap main race, and no tire would be allowed to be used for longer than 20 laps. Verstappen secured pole position for the Grand Prix on Friday.