Qatar is preparing, in its second edition, the third coronation of Verstappen

Qatarhome of the year’s seventeenth Grand Prix and one of four Middle Eastern countries to host Formula One World Cup races – along with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi -, this weekend will face its second edition in the main category. It will once again be the center of international information attention, in front of Dutchman Max Verstappen’s imminent third coronation (Red bull); which will probably happen this Saturday, without even waiting for Sunday.

If two years ago, when it hosted the F1 World Grand Prix for the first time, a luxurious podium was completed at the Lusail circuit, with the three world champions currently on the track –Englishman Lewis Hamilton (seven titles) won ahead of Verstappen and Spanish double world champion Fernando Alonso-; In this instance, barring real misfortune for the interested party, ‘Mad Max’ will be crowned for the third time in a rowjust turned 26 last Saturday.

Verstappen – who won thirteen times in the first 16 races of the year – will have two chances in Qatar, as he is missing just three points to mathematically prove his third title. And, in the fourth of the year’s six Grand Prix with a sprint format, he could once again become world champion without waiting for Sunday’s race: land it was enough to finish sixth in Saturday’s short test; and despite not finishing with eight points in the reduced test, as long as his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez – whom he improved by 177 points (400 compared to 223) – would not finish in the first three.

Qatar, which was not included in last year’s calendar – fully dedicated to the organization of the Soccer World Cup – will organize this Grand Prix and, in principle, will continue to do so for the next nine years, where it will continue to host one of the stops of the world’s premier automobile championship.

In 2021 became eThe third country in the Middle East to host an F1 racejust two weeks before Saudi Arabia became fourth. Hamilton, who won those two races, inspired the most exciting World Cup in historywhich was resolved – not without controversy – on the last lap of the last race: in Abu Dhabi and in favor of Verstappen, who ousted the magnificent and eccentric champion of Stevenage that day.

Bahrain -where the Asturian double world champion Fernando Alonso, the new flagship of Aston Martin, won three times; and the Mexican ‘Checo’ Pérez, a- is the first country in the Arabian Peninsula to host a top-class Grand Prix. At the Sakhir circuit and in 2004: the same year in which Qatar began to host one of the events of the Motorcycle World Championship, whose calendar it now combines regularly.

It’s exactly 4 by 4 by 4: Sakhir hosted the first Bahrain Grand Prix on April 4, 2004, with victory for German Michael Schumacher.whose seven world titles equaled Hamilton (Mercedes) three seasons ago.

The following two years -with his two titles- Alonso was the winner at the track outside Manama; and the Asturian genius – fourth in this World Cup, 16 points behind Sir Lewis (190-174) – scored a third victory in 2010, with Ferrari.

Bahrain became the usual venue and in 2020, with the World Cup during the harsh pandemic, it ‘doubled’ on the calendar, with a second race It was called the Sakhir Grand Prix and ‘Czech’ was the winnerwho on December 6 of that year signed the first of his six F1 victories, with Racing Point.

Abu Dhabithe capital of the United Arab Emirates, It is the second place in the Middle East to enter the calendar. In 2009. With the victory of German quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who a year later would celebrate the first of his four titles with Red Bull at the Yas Marina circuit, in one of Alonso’s saddest nights, missing out on what would have been his third World Cup that dayin his first season at Ferrari.

In Abu Dhabi, Verstappen decided in his favor, with the last breath, the 2021 World Cup; just a week after Hamilton relegated him to second place on the debut of the Jeddah street circuit, in Saudi Arabia. Where ‘Mad Max’ won a race last year where another Spaniard, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished third-fifth overall, 24 points behind Alonso-; and where the ‘Czech’ course prevailed.

Last March, the brave driver from Guadalajara scored his first victory of the season – and the fifth of the six he got in F1 – at the aforementioned Saudi urban circuit. In a race where Alonsogreat animator of this World Cuprose to the second of seven podiums this seasonwhich proves that he is living in the second youth, at 42 years old.

The podium before these seven was achieved by the brilliant Asturian driver two years ago in Qatar, who arrived with the intention of staying; and that, at the moment, is appealing international attention by hosting its second edition of the F1 Grand Prix.

An edition that, except for one big surprise, This will mark the Dutch star’s third coronation, whose roof is unknown, and the first of the next ten that will host the Lusail circuit – with a track of 5,419 meters and 16 curves (six of them on the left) -, located just under 30 kilometers to the north of the Qatari capital, Doha; and thirteen from the stadium of the same name that hosted, a year ago, the final of the World Cup. Where Lionel Messi’s Argentina won – after a penalty shootout – against Kylian Mbappé’s France.

Before last year’s World Cup, Qatar successfully organized, among other international events, handball, in 2015; and athletics, four years later.

Next February will host the swimming world championships; and in 2027 it will host basketball. This weekend and at least for the next nine seasons, Qatar will be the center of international attention thanks to the F1 races hosted by Lusail.

This time, two tests –the sprint, about a third of the distance of Sunday’s test (scheduled for 57 laps, to complete a route of 308.6 kilometers) – which will be decided at night and with artificial light.