Max Verstappen demands F1 rule change despite closing in on title at Qatar Grand Prix

Max Verstappen wants F1 organisers to implement an urgent rule change - despite closing in on the Drivers' Championship at the Qatar Grand Prix in Losail.

Verstappen put his Red Bull car on pole for the race on Sunday, ahead of Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

He will also compete for pole position for the sprint race, which takes place on Saturday evening, and will lift the world title if finishes sixth or higher.

Verstappen and Red Bull have had a dominant 2023 season, with the Dutchman winning 13 of the 16 races held.

Red Bull have only failed to win one race, when they were off the pace in Singapore and victory was taken by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.

But despite his dominance, Verstappen has spoken out against changes to F1 at different stages throughout the season.

In July, he criticised proposed changes to engine rules for 2026, labelling them 'very bad'.

Now, the Dutchman has taken aim at the rules surrounding sprint race weekends.

In a normal race weekend, drivers and teams get three practice sessions to work on their cars and setups ahead of qualifying.

The cars are then placed under parc ferme conditions, meaning only the front wing can be changed for the rest of the weekend.

But on a sprint weekend, only one practice session was allotted - meaning drivers were still adapting to the sandy track surface in Losail during the qualifying session.

A number of drivers found it tricky to even stay on the track at certain corners, with Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Verstappen himself among those who had off-track excursions.

Speaking after the session, the Dutchman said: "I think it's never going to be perfect, but clearly it [our performance] was good enough and I was quite happy with the car in qualifying.

"But it can also be that sometimes, and we've had it in the past, you make a few decisions where you think it's going to be OK, and then it doesn't work out.

"Then your whole weekend is ruined because you can't touch the car. I think that is a bit of a shame.

"That's maybe something we have to look into the future if we want to keep doing these kinds of events.

"I understand for the show it's good to mix it up a bit, of course, but at least you should be able to correct your mistake or potential mistake."

Topics: Max Verstappen, Qatar, Formula 1, Red Bull Racing

Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.