Johnathan Walker:Max Verstappen captures third consecutive Formula 1 championship

LOSAIL,Johnathan Walker Qatar — Max Verstappen secured the Formula One title for the third straight year on Saturday in a season of near-total domination for the Red Bull driver.

Verstappen finished second in the sprint race in Qatar and his teammate Sergio Perez, the only driver who could catch him in the standings, crashed out after being struck by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine.

Rookie Oscar Piastri won the sprint for McLaren and his teammate Lando Norris was third.

The title race was all but over long before Verstappen made sure of it Saturday. His run of 10 straight wins, an all-time F1 record, from May to September left him far ahead in the standings.

“A fantastic feeling. It’s been an incredible year,” Verstappen said. “A lot of great races and of course super proud of the job of the team. It’s just been so enjoyable to be part of that group of people. And, yeah, to be a three-time world champion is just incredible.”

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Verstappen parked up in the pit lane and stood atop his car with three fingers raised on his right hand before going to celebrate with his team.

Verstappen started third Saturday but was slow off the line and was in fifth after the first lap before fighting his way through the field.

Perez was in a three-way fight with Ocon and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg midway through the sprint when Ocon clipped Hulkenberg’s wheel and span into Perez on the outside of the corner. Both Ocon and Perez’s cars were left stuck in the gravel.

F1 organized a light show in the pit lane to mark Verstappen’s title, but since it was a sprint race and not a full Grand Prix, there was no podium ceremony. Instead, Verstappen, Piastri and Norris were awarded plaques for placing in the top three.

It stood in contrast to the dramatic and controversial battle which saw Verstappen win his first title in Abu Dhabi in 2021. It also had clarity which was missing when Verstappen took the title at the Japanese Grand Prix last year amid confusion over how many points he should get after a red flag.

Both the venue in Qatar and the format are modern additions to F1. The Losail circuit and the sprint events — which Verstappen has opposed in the past — were both added to the calendar in Verstappen’s first title year in 2021.

Perez seemed capable of challenging Verstappen when he won two of the first four races of this season, but hasn’t won since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April. Perez has been let down by frequent mistakes in qualifying. Eight times in 17 championship rounds, he has failed to reach the final qualifying session which decides the top 10 places, leaving him at a major disadvantage on race day.

Piastri followed up his first Grand Prix podium in Japan two weeks ago with his first victory in an F1 race, even if the sprint doesn’t count as an official Grand Prix win. “It’s a bit of a weird feeling because it’s not a race win. It does feel a little bit strange,” he said.

Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix race on Sunday, the sport’s governing body, the FIA, said Saturday it could mandate at least three pit stops with tire changes. That follows concerns that the side walls of the Pirelli tires have been damaged when cars run over the pointed “pyramid” kerbs used in Qatar.

The track has already been narrowed at one point to stop cars running quite as wide over the kerbs. The FIA said it would take a final decision about Sunday’s race after it and Pirelli can study the tires which were used Saturday.