Max Verstappen didn’t quite get the result he wanted in Singapore, with his team withdrawing him from his hot-lap during qualifying which ultimately saw the reigning champion start the Grand Prix in eighth position.
Due to the difficulty of the track, the numerous safety cars and the damp conditions, he was unable to salvage much from the race, only moving up to seventh in the end and adding just six points to his tally for the season.
Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc shared the podium together, closing the large gap between them both and Verstappen slightly, but it’s still likely that the Dutchman gets the job done.
READ MORE:
- Is The Singapore Grand Prix Fit For Purpose?
-
2023 F1 Schedule: 24-Race Schedule Including Three In The USA Confirmed
So when will he become champion?
There are 138 points on offer until the end of the season, including the sprint race expected in Sao Paulo next month. Verstappen obviously has plenty of chances to become champion between now and the end of the season, however much of it depends on results around him, if winning races is as easy as he’s made it look for much of the season.
To clinch the title in Japan this weekend, Verstappen needs to make sure he wins and also needs to win the DHL Fastest Lap award, with the extra bonus point bringing up the gap between him and Charles Leclerc (if the Monegasque finishes second) to 112 points, the maximum amount on offer from the rest of the races from USA onwards.
It’s not the only result to look out for too. The only other driver within distance of Verstappen who he can mathematically overtake him before the end of the season is his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who took the number one spot in Singapore this weekend.
In order to claim victory without winning the race, Verstappen needs to finish with eight more points than Charles Leclerc (VER 2nd, LEC 5th for example) and six more than his teammate, Checo.
If Verstappen wins on Sunday and becomes champion, he’ll become just the 11th driver to ever defend a world championship, following in the footsteps of the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari, who did it for the first time. He would be the third driver to do this at his age, with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso managing to achieve it before him.
The current 104-point gap can be made wider too, with the five races and single sprint session giving Verstappen a huge chance of breaking the record for highest margin of victory. The current record is Vettel again in 2013, winning the title by 155 points in the end. Max will need a few more Ferrari errors and perhaps some poor races from his teammate in order to increase his gap to break the record. However, he’s still likely to break every other title-winning margin in the process if he gets over 124 (Hamilton's tally in 2020).