Verstappen seeks F1 Qatar Grand Prix hat-trick

MAX Verstappen is seeking a hat-trick of wins at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend as this year’s Formula One world championship reaches boiling point in the Arabian Gulf.

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RED Bull's Max Verstappen not giving up his Formula One world title without a fight. | AFP

(AFP)

But he will know, better than most, that even with luck on his side he is unlikely to overhaul the 24-point deficit separating him from McLaren's Lando Norris as the final two events of the season approach.

Despite being disqualified along with McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri after finishing second at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last Sunday, Norris arrives in Qatar as favourite to lift his first title and secure McLaren's first team-and-driver double since Mika Häkkinen’s success in 1998.

The 26-year-old Briton needs only to hold his nerve and outscore his rivals by two points to leave Qatar as champion on Sunday night. Of the three, Norris is the only one with a realistic opportunity to take the crown this weekend.