Max Verstappen and his dominant RB19 set up a boring championship as the 2023 season progressed. With the Dutchman being 177 points ahead of second-placed Sergio Perez, he is only three points away from securing his third-consecutive driver’s world championship. As a result, the Sprint session on Saturday in Qatar can hand him the title that will see him equalize F1 legends like Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda. With the Alcohol restrictions in Qatar, it would be a scene of ‘dry celebrations’ for the Dutchman. However, Kronen Zeitung reports Red Bull is ready to break the bank to celebrate properly.
The championship wins for Verstappen have all been a story among themselves. His first title came with heavy controversy and backlash following the botched call during the last lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. In 2022, confusion surrounded Verstappen as Leclerc finished the Japanese GP in P2 but had a 5-second penalty, which meant he was P3. When the drivers were in the cooldown room, Verstappen received the news of him becoming the champion and could not celebrate out on the track upon finishing the race. This year, it will be another unconventional championship win for the 26-year-old as he looks likely to secure the championship a day before the feature race in Qatar.
Red Bull has an expensive plan to celebrate Verstappen’s third title win
Qatar has strict laws when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, especially in public. The most important law states that while purchasing alcohol from authorized suppliers is allowed, the consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited in public and is punishable by law. As such, the title celebrations for Verstappen might see a damper put on them. However, Helmut Marko reveals the team has a plan to bypass the law (as reported by Kronen Zeitung) as the consumption of alcohol is allowed in private for tourists and non-Muslim residents of the country.
“They wanted the decision to be made in a country where people could celebrate properly. What will happen in Qatar? Rose water instead of champagne and beer? At least in the hotel there was beer and whiskey last time. The prices are horrendous, but it has to be worth it.”
Verstappen becoming a three-time world will be a big deal, and Red Bull spending heaps of money over the celebrations will be worth it. The Dutchman celebrated his 26th birthday last Saturday, and picking up the world title the following week will be cause for double celebrations within the camp. Even the Dutchman himself has big plans after a glorious Saturday in Qatar.
Max Verstappen plans on being hungover during the feature race in Qatar
Saturday’s Sprint session will be a momentous occasion in Verstappen’s extremely dominant season. As such, not having any victory celebrations despite the country’s strict laws is entirely out of the question for the newly-turned 26-year-old. When asked about not being able to drink after Saturday’s session, Verstappen replied, “Who knows,” and later added, “whether you can drink or not on Saturday.”
Lewis Hamilton on Max Verstappen likely winning the championship on Saturday: “He’s earned his position – he’s done an amazing job with the package that he has. Him and the team have been phenomenal this year – faultless. They’ve raised the bar.” #F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/dRtug7fUSD
— Pit Debrief (@PitDebrief) October 5, 2023
With celebrations already on his mind, Saturday can’t come soon enough for Verstappen and Red Bull. However, it would be a much more important session for his teammate, who needs to perform exceedingly well to keep Lewis Hamilton from overtaking him in the driver’s standings and save his Red Bull seat.
