The Qatar Grand Prix is going to be the one to stay tuned for, especially with the championship battle still going. The sprint race and qualifying told us a lot about what and who we should look out for in the upcoming race.

Besides the 3 still fighting for the championship, we have other drivers to look out for, they might surprise us in different ways than we think.

Oscar Piastri won the sprint race and is now starting on Pole Position, and after being overshadowed by his teammate from the media, Piastri has something to prove. Piastri has shown his clear momentum as he tightens the gap with his teammate and championship leader, Lando Norris

Lando Norris, proving himself worthy again and again, though he’s starting in 2nd, he only has a championship in his mind. Lando can try to pull a race winning move from turn one if he can overtake his teammate, Oscar Piastri 

Everybody is going to have their eyes on Verstappen, he is a fan favorite to win the championship. Verstappen is starting in the second row, and if he manages his car well and continue to drive with his aggressive driving style, he may be able to pull off a championship clutching move in either turn one, or further down the road.

Qualified in 6th, the Racing Bull rookie had a strong qualifying session. Hadjar is especially good in high speed circuits, with a smooth driving style which could bring him a clean race and a good race result, he is great at taking up on the opportunities from other's mistakes. He's one of the rookies to keep an eye out for, especially from a midfield team.

Starting on the second row, along with Verstappen, Russell will be starting in P4. Russel has been showing great consistency recently, we could see him make some movements in the later laps of the race. If he manages to manage his tires, he can take advantage of the top 3's tire wear, making him a quiet threat.

Qualifying in 5th, Kimi Antonelli has been improving at rapid speed. Kimi isn't fighting for the championship so he has nothing to lose. The Mercedes had great pace in Qatar, Kimi will be the first to pounce the second someone makes a mistake. There is a great chance we will see Kimi on the podium, all he needs is a good strategy, and an aggressive driving style. Kimi is already in such an impressive spot for lights out, which he could also use to his advantage.

Qatar will be a tension filled race at the very top, but this only means the drivers not in championship contentions are going to be willing to go the extra mile, and take the risks they need to outperform. Anything can happen, comment your predictions down below!