Newly crowned quadruple world champion Max Verstappen shifts his focus from the drivers' title to the team contest this weekend, as he leads Red Bull's bid to defend its crown at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Just five days after securing his fourth championship with a steady fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the 27-year-old Dutchman returns to the track, aiming to replicate his pole-to-flag victory from last year.
Verstappen, who holds the lap record at Lusail International Circuit, set in 2023, will race with confidence, but a fierce challenge awaits from McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes as they vie for success.
After falling away from the drivers' title fight last weekend, Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri will aim to extend their lead. McLaren is atop the standings with 608 points, 24 clear of Ferrari (584) and Red Bull (555), with two Grands Prix, including a sprint in Qatar, remaining.
Verstappen won last year's race ahead of Norris and Piastri, who claimed victory in the sprint. Given their recent form, the vastly improved McLaren team may have an edge in this weekend's third Qatar event.
Mercedes' outgoing seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who will leave the team to join Ferrari after the season finale in Abu Dhabi next week, won the inaugural Qatar race in 2021. There was no race in 2022 due to the Qatar World Cup.
"Winning the title was an incredible moment," Verstappen said ahead of his arrival in Doha. "I am so proud of what we achieved as a team. There were difficult moments, but we stuck together, never gave up, and that’s what made it so special.
"We are still very focused for the Qatar race, and it's going to be a busy weekend. The season is not over yet... We want to keep the momentum going and win as many points as we can for the team. Bring it on!"
‘Nobody is unbeatable’
The champion can expect a strong challenge from all of his rivals, led by Mercedes' George Russell, who won in Nevada and declared his intent to launch a title bid in 2025 if his often unpredictable car proves as fast and reliable as it was last weekend.
"Nobody is unbeatable," Russell said, amid talk of a Verstappen era of dominance. "You go through phases when teams and drivers are dominating, but you have to have belief in yourself ... Personally, I believe that we can fight him in equal machinery."
The switch in focus to the constructors' championship will see prestige and prize money at stake for the teams, who, within the sport and its paddock, regard it as the true focus of their attention while acknowledging the value of the drivers' title.
Although the allocation of prize money is not made public, most informed paddock sources believe the champion team will win an estimated $140-150 million, with the runners-up taking $130-135 million.
The third-place team may receive around $125 million, with each of the 10 teams receiving approximately $10 million less than the team finishing a place above them. This situation will change in 2026 when General Motors’ Cadillac brand enters as a new team.
By then, given F1's American-fueled growth, the revenue streams and prize money are expected to have increased. On Wednesday, F1 announced that the famous and historic Italian Grand Prix will remain on the calendar with a six-year deal through 2031.