The Formula 1 title fight heads to Losail this weekend for the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton continues to hunt down Max Verstappen at the top of the standings.
The seven-time world champion’s sensational drive at Interlagos last time out, where he came from 20th at the start of the sprint race to take victory in the Grand Prix on Sunday, was one of the greatest of his career and has put the pressure back on Red Bull after they had built up a lead which looked ominous.
The race in Qatar is not without its controversy, having been heavily criticised by human rights group Amnesty International, but will host the first of three final races in the Middle East that will determine which driver will secure the drivers’ championship.
With a fresher engine and faster straight-line speed on a track with very few low-speed corners, Hamilton and Mercedes head into the weekend as favourites.
Here is everything you need to know about the race.
Start time
The race will start at 2pm GMT on 21 November at the Losail Circuit in Al Daayen, Qatar.
TV channel
The race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK, with coverage beginning at 12.30pm.
If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
Standings
1. Verstappen - 332.5
2. Hamilton - 318.5
3. Bottas - 203
4. Perez - 178
5. Norris - 151
6. Leclerc - 148
7. Sainz - 139.5
8. Ricciardo - 105
9. Gasly - 92
10. Alonso - 62
What Hamilton has said
“You’ve got to keep pushing, keep fighting. Never, ever stop fighting. That’s really how I approached this [Brazilian Grand Prix] weekend – inspiration from all around. It feels like the first [win], because I hadn’t won in a while.
“It is easy to get down and mentally, you can think it is over, it is impossible, but nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. We cultivated a positive mental attitude and we went out all guns blazing.”
Odds
Lewis Hamilton - 4/6
Max Verstappen - 7/4
Valtteri Bottas - 14/1
Sergio Perez - 20/1
Prediction
Hamilton’s fresher engine and the Mercedes’ straight-line speed should give him the advantage over Verstappen here, and Bottas could compound the Dutchman’s woes.
1) Hamilton
2) Bottas
3) Verstappen
