Forget last season’s thrilling finale. If in 2021, the title was decided by a few points between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, and on the last lap of the last race of the season, the scenario for this year is quite different. The Dutchman flies over the Formula 1 championship. At the dawn of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Sunday October 2, the Red Bull driver has a comfortable mattress ahead of his pursuer Charles Leclerc (+116 points), and on his teammate, Sergio Perez (+127 points). Max Verstappen could therefore win his second world crown. Two scenarios are open to him. Follow the leader.
Verstappen sacred if…
If he wants to ratify this second consecutive world crown, Max Verstappen must win on Sunday. But it will not be enough to validate his coronation.
First scenario: if the Dutchman wins in Singapore (25 points) with the fastest lap (+1 point), and Charles Leclerc does not finish in a better place than eighth, and Sergio Perez crosses the finish line beyond fourth place. In this case, the title is acquired.
Second scenario: if he wins but does not take the extra point rewarding the fastest lap, and Charles Leclerc does not do better than ninth (with or without the fastest lap) and Sergio Perez is not on the podium. Here too, the title of world champion is assured.
Grazie Monza ❤️#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/RDnL6p0bTp
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2022
In these two scenarios, Max Verstappen could no longer be caught by the other drivers, even in the event of a total rout and a zero point in the next races – which is doubtful as the Red Bull driver has shown consistency this season. At Monza, on September 11, he won his 11th victory of the season (in 16 races), ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
After the Singapore event, a driver can only score a maximum of 138 points if he wins all the heats, as well as the sprint in Brazil, and if he seizes the point allocated each time. fastest (5 x 26 points + 8 points). If Max Verstappen is therefore 138 points or more ahead of his nearest pursuer after the Singapore GP, the title is therefore acquired for him.
F1:
A few weeks before the new Formula 1 season.Here is the schedule for the 2022 season: pic.twitter.com/suNV6hkZNg
— PASSION SPORT (@passionsportytb) January 1, 2022
No need to pull out the calculators to realize that the return of a rival on the Dutchman remains very unlikely. The challenge is no longer so much to know the name of the future world champion, as to know when the crown will return to him.