FIA Dishes Big Blow to Max Verstappen & Co. After Inhumane Qatar GP Spotlights RBR’s Faults

The 2023 Qatar GP. It was nothing if not a circle of hell. Sunday’s race was one of the most grueling experiences any Formula 1 driver has had. As Valtteri Bottas put it, it was pure “torture.” Track temperatures of upwards of 40C, high humidity, high-speed corners, and practically 57 qualifying laps because of the FIA’s maximum tire usage limit. Drivers threw up, got almost burned, retired, and some even fainted. It was an inhumane experience, one that every driver fought through. But only one came out on top, and that was Max Verstappen.

On the weekend he sealed his third championship, Verstappen—who’s basically breezed through the 2023 season—couldn’t stand up straight after the race. Despite the demands of the circuit that caught out almost every driver, the Red Bull driver drove a faultless race. But the fact that no one else could emulate his precision may have just put his team’s home race at risk.

The Austrian GP: Collateral damage to the Qatar GP?

The Red Bull Ring in Austria is one of the most exciting tracks to race on. The elevation changes and the numerous overtaking zones always provide for good racing. This year, though, while the race was exciting, the action was overshadowed by the uncountable track limit violations, resulting in time deletions and penalties. The stewards had to be on their heels the entire time. The last two corners—Turns 9 and 10—were primarily where drivers went off. That was because of the large run-off areas without the presence of a natural deterrent that drivers were forced to avoid. While this issue raised eyebrows back then, the Qatar GP highlighted it even more.

The grueling conditions weren’t the only thing that stood out about the Qatar GP weekend. When F1 visited Lusail for the first time in 2021, the aggressive kerbs were a major cause for concern, damaging tires more than expected. In 2023, the problem persisted. Additionally, drivers regularly exceeded track limits, primarily because they couldn’t feel the ‘MotoGP’ kerbs like they could on other tracks. Multiple drivers fell prey to lap-time deletions and penalties during the weekend. Most notably, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez. While Perez struggled to keep the car on track, Verstappen didn’t have even one violation. But every other driver did.

In light of both weekends, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem gave a verdict on the Austrian and Qatar GP’s future. In an interview with Motorsport, he talked about track limits in Qatar, saying, “We had the same issue in Austria. It was 1200 [offenses there]. I have to say congratulations to the stewards because they spotted it. But is that the solution? No. The solution is to improve the track itself. I know some are resistant to it, but to tell you the truth, if they don’t, there is no race. It is as simple as this. We can’t afford this.” The Red Bull Ring is a track Red Bull excels at. Considering it’s also the team’s track, it’d be a huge bummer if the FIA removed it from the calendar.

Read More: “I Blame F1”: Despite Scripting History, Max Verstappen Lets Disdain Known for Revolutionary Move

The Red Bull Ring has already started taking steps to solve the problem. Whether they’re effective, only F1’s trip to Austria in 2024 will tell. As Max Verstappen & Co. await the FIA’s decision till then, could the Dutchman’s home race be in danger, too?

Could Max Verstappen lose the Dutch GP as well?

Dutch GP organizers faced a little bit of a scare earlier this season. F1 has been working toward becoming carbon-neutral for a while now. With its aim to have net-zero emissions by 2030, the Dutch GP was posing a threat to achieving that. When F1 returned to Zandvoort in 2021, F2 and F3 incorporated the circuit into their calendars, too. Last season, F3 shared the weekend with F1, but it didn’t go according to plan. As per reports, “At various times during the day, one of the entrances to the circuit had to be temporarily closed as the Formula 3 cars had to drive to the track. The whole scene not only caused hassle for the teams and drivers, but it also created traffic jams of spectators.”

A few months ago, F2 and F3 released their 2024 calendars, but none featured Zandvoort, primarily because of what happened last season. This brought F1’s future there into question. But now, Verstappen has nothing to worry about. Since the first traffic jam, there haven’t been any more at Zandvoort. Most fans now take the train to the circuit (which was renamed The Max Express during the Dutch GP weekend). Others used bicycles and public transportation, which helped raise the bar for sustainable transportation. With 97% sustainable transportation in 2022, the Dutch GP stands well above every other race weekend on the calendar. 

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Do you think the Austrian and Qatar GP will show improvements in 2024?