Leclerc: Saturday crowning for Verstappen would be unfortunate

Charles Leclerc believes that F1 “could have done something different” to prevent Max Verstappen from winning the title on Saturday in Qatar, in front of a smaller global audience.

Verstappen is only three points away from sealing his third world championship in Formula 1, a feat he could achieve in Saturday’s 30-minute sprint event in Qatar.

While this would take nothing away from the Red Bull’s driver’s merits, it would deprive many fans from witnessing the milestone moment given the lower ratings of Saturday’s mad dash compared to Sunday’s Grand Prix.

But with three sprint races taking place in the last six rounds of the season, the risk of a Saturday coronation was always on the cards.

“Yes, maybe we could have done something different, but it’s also very difficult to predict whenever somebody is going to win the championship,” commented Leclerc who noted the potential drawback associated with F1’s sprint format.

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“And at the beginning of the year I don’t think many people would have bet that it would be so early, so, yes, we can be aware that if we have such weekends towards the end of the season, these things can happen, having more exciting things happening on a Saturday, when there’s less people watching, but that’s part of the game.”

Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas agreed that winning the title in less high-profile circumstances was “a little bit” regrettable.

“For some fans, it’s not ideal,” commented the Finn. “I think everyone would always love to see the championship battle go to the last race. But that’s how it goes sometimes in Formula 1.

“But at least, like, I feel like the racing is still overall good. Maybe not for the first place sometimes, but behind, from what I’ve seen, it is quite entertaining.”

Verstappen, the man of the moment, appeared rather indifferent to clinching his title on a Saturday or on a Sunday. But then again, the Dutchman has never been a fan of the sprint format as he reiterated on Thursday at Lusail.

“I mean we can celebrate throughout the weekend so that’s okay,” he said.

“So I don’t think it really changes a lot but it’s more, I think for the drivers as well I prefer just the normal racing format.

“I think it’s just a bit more exciting and especially in qualifying you can go more to the limit because you know more of what you’ve done in practice.

“And, like, for example in Suzuka, like if you do FP1 then go straight into qualifying, you risk massive shunts and yeah. It’s not as fulfilling.

“And I always keep saying, once we do a Sprint Race, you will get the big picture anyway for the main race so you know more or less already, ah this car is going to be really good in the race, this one is going to drop back.

“So it takes away a little bit of the excitement away, I remember from when I was a fan, just the outside of the F1 world, you don’t know which car is particularly amazing in the long run, or have they nailed the race setup.

“You watch qualifying and go, oh wow, OK. It might be that one car is in front and they drop back in the race. It’s all unclear.

“Then you wake up for the Sunday race, and you all see it unfold. But because of the Sprint Race, it takes that already a bit away. You’re like, if nothing happens and he doesn’t crash, they’re going to win the race, that team or whatever.”

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