F1: what value does a championship won on a Saturday have? Charles Leclerc’s doubts. What value does an F1 title won on a Saturday have? Charles Leclerc's reply.

Red Bull Racing Dutch driver Max Verstappen could achieve the feat of winning a championship on a Saturday during the sprint race in Qatar. However, Charles Leclerc is not convinced of this added value. Max Verstappen, unless he makes major mistakes, should be able to secure the championship tomorrow. The Dutchman only needs three points to clinch the 2023 Formula One title.

With six sprint races on the calendar this year, the chances of a driver becoming a champion on a Saturday were high. This is precisely the problem for Charles Leclerc, who commented on this possibility for Max Verstappen this weekend at the Lusail International Circuit. The Monegasque driver emphasizes an important point: most people watch the race on Sunday, missing out on these new formats, which are more appealing to the more dedicated fans. By doing so, there would be fewer people celebrating Max Verstappen’s triumph on TV.

“Perhaps we could think of something different,” said the Ferrari driver. “But it is also very difficult to predict when one will win a championship. At the beginning of the year, I don’t think many people would have bet on Max Verstappen’s third world title arriving like this,” admitted the Scuderia Ferrari driver, ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

“When we have sprint race weekends, there is a chance that something a bit more exciting happens on Saturday when fewer people are watching the race, which is part of the game,” he pointed out. The Monegasque driver also stated how beneficial it would be for Formula 1 to have a championship battle that lasts until the last race, ensuring consistently high viewership numbers.

Source: f1ingenerale