The destination of the 2024 drivers' championship was decided in Las Vegas last week as Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrated his fourth career title, but there are still two race weekends to go, starting with this week's Qatar Grand Prix.
Having seen his title hopes disappear on the Las Vegas Strip, Lando Norris will be feeling mixed emotions heading to Lusail. However, his McLaren team are leading a tight battle for the constructors' championship and Norris could be worth backing to deliver in Qatar.
- LANDO NORRIS TO WIN
- LEWIS HAMILTON PODIUM FINISH
- NICO HULKENBERG POINTS FINISH
Bet On The Qatar Grand Prix
McLaren Could Be Tough To Beat In Lusail
McLaren have generally been very strong on street circuits this season, but the papaya cars never looked happy under the lights of Las Vegas, where the unusually cold nights probably adversely affected their performance.
The team have won a number of races this year by preserving their tyres better than rivals, but the temperature in Vegas coupled with a low-grip track surface meant tyre wear was not really an issue.
That will be very different in Qatar, where the track features a string of high- and medium-speed corners linked together, which should be much more to McLaren's liking.
Norris has registered two dominant performances on similar types of circuits this year, winning by over 20 seconds in Zandvoort and Singapore, and with the pressure of the drivers' championship having been lifted, we could well see that kind of display again.
Ferrari closed to within 24 points of McLaren in the constructors' standings by finishing third and fourth in Vegas, but the Scuderia had higher hopes than that and have warned that Lusail will not suit their car as well as the Strip.
LANDO NORRIS TO WIN
Hamilton Can Build On Strong Vegas Showing
Mercedes had been expecting to struggle in Las Vegas, but they dominated from the very first laps of the weekend and became the fourth different team to earn a 1-2 finish in a grand prix this season - a new Formula 1 record.
It's not the first time Mercedes have been baffled by their performance, so perhaps not too much should be read into the fact that they are expecting a strong showing this weekend.
However, they fared well in Qatar last year, qualifying second and third on the grid. Although George Russell and Lewis Hamilton then collided at the first corner, eliminating Hamilton from the race, Russell then charged from the back of the field up to fourth by the finish.
Hamilton put together a run of four podiums in five races earlier this season, and although he has struggled in some recent races he looked mighty in Vegas.
The seven-time world champion failed to get a representative lap in the qualifying shootout, but climbed from 10th to second in the race and was closing on his team-mate Russell after the final pitstops.
LEWIS HAMILTON PODIUM FINISH
Hulkenberg Ending Season On A High
German veteran Nico Hulkenberg will leave Haas at the end of the season but he will be exciting his future employers Sauber with his recent performances.
Hulkenberg sits 10th in the drivers standings and has scored points in four of the last five races, missing out only in the rain-affected Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
He has a couple of very impressive sixth-place finishes on his CV this season and having finished eighth in Vegas last weekend, Hulkenberg looks a solid pick for another top-10 result.
NICO HULKENBERG POINTS FINISH
