DOHA, Nov 27 — Max Verstappen is seeking a hat-trick of wins at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend as this year’s Formula One world championship reaches boiling point in the Arabian Gulf.

But he will know, better than most, that even with luck on his side he is unlikely to overhaul a 24-point deficit that separates him from McLaren’s Lando Norris as they approach the final two events of the season.