Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) can ‘seal’ the Formula 1 world title at the Japanese Grand Prix, the 18th of 22 races this season, which takes place on Sunday at the Suzuka circuit.
The 25-year-old wins the title if he wins and sets the fastest lap of the race, earning him an extra point no matter what his opponents do.
With 104 points ahead of Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and 106 on the Mexican Sérgio Pérezhis Red Bull teammate, Verstappen’s double championship is not threatened by any other driver, at a time when 138 points are still up for grabs.
Max Verstappen can still be champion in several scenarios, even if, in the worst case, he finishes sixth, Leclerc doesn’t score and Pérez doesn’t go beyond 10th position.
If you don’t win and you are runner-up, Max Verstappen celebrates his second title if Leclerc finishes below fifth (fourth if the Red Bull driver sets the fastest lap) and Perez below fourth (below third if the Dutch driver sets the fastest lap).
If Sunday’s Japanese race finishes third, Verstappen remains champion if Ferrari’s rival does not pass seventh place (sixth if the Dutchman makes the fastest lap) and Sérgio Pérez does not pass fifth.
If you only rank fourth, Max Verstappen is champion with Leclerc below sixth and Pérez below fifth (or be at least seventh if Verstappen sets the fastest lap).
The Red Bull driver still has a chance to celebrate the title if he finishes fifth. For that he needs Leclerc to stay in ninth place and Pérez eighth.
Until the end of the season, Max Verstappen can also become the driver with the most wins in a single season (the record is 13 and belongs to the Germans Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel).
The Dutchman may also have the most wins in a row (he has five and Vettel’s record is nine since 2013).
Currently, with 341 points, Verstappen can still break the record for the most points added, held by Lewis Hamilton since 2019 (413).
The Red Bull driver is also vying for the record for the largest points gap with the world runner-up. The record belongs to Sebastian Vettel, thanks to the 155 points left by runner-up Fernando Alonso in 2013.
Finally, the hardest thing to beat will be the fastest laps in the race. The maximum ever achieved was 10 in a season, by Michael Schumacher (2004) and by the Finn Kimi Raikkonen (2005). Verstappen currently has five.
Source: Observadora
