For the record, it was on lap 11 of the sprint race on Saturday night in Qatar when Max Verstappen was crowned the 2023 champion. A three-car incident put his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez into the gravel trap and the points chase was over – Verstappen finished second in the 19-lap sprint race and received the well-deserved plaudits.
As in Suzuka, the biggest challenge to Max came from the two McLarens – and Oscar Piastri’s impressive triumph in the sprint race would have frustrated teammate