Motorsports
When and where can Verstappen win this year’s championship?
Max Verstappen’s third consecutive Formula 1 title has long been a given, so it remains to be seen which of the next two or three GPs – in Singapore, Japan or Qatar – will mathematically secure it.
Formula 1 travels to Singapore for the 15th race of this year’s championship over these three days (September 15th-17th) after saying goodbye to Europe for this year following the Italian GP – but the race in the major Asian port can will not be the venue where Max Verstappen will celebrate his third championship.
With 12 wins in 14 F1 races so far, Verstappen has a 145-point lead over championship runner-up Sergio Perez and 194 points over third-place Fernando Alonso. With 8 races remaining in the season, a driver can achieve a maximum of 232 points – so this gap cannot be made up, even if Verstappen reaches the maximum of 26 points in Singapore.
However, since there are fewer races, the Dutchman will have his first chance to secure this year’s title at the next Japanese GP, where last year – amid an unimaginable mix-up with the points at the end of the race – he also celebrated his second championship .
To be crowned champion at Suzuka, the results in Singapore and Japan will play a role, because to mathematically win the title he must leave the Far Eastern country with a lead of 180 points over Perez.
Given that the Mexican has increased his performance in recent races and found a solution to his long-term issues with the Red Bull RB19 that he has had throughout the year, the most likely scenario is that Verstappen will not be able to get in on these two Race 35 extra points from Perez.
In this case, the most likely scenario is that the title will be decided at the next race in Qatar, where, in addition to the classic points, extras will be awarded to the winner of the sprint race that will take place at the Losail GP. Verstappen has to leave this race with a lead of 146 points over Perez.
As a result, the most likely scenario is overwhelmingly that the Dutchman secures his third title within the next three GPs – and then celebrates it in the final five regular races of the year.
But while Verstappen cannot mathematically secure this year’s championship in Singapore in the next three days, Red Bull can do something with the constructors’ title.
The Milton Keynes side have a 310-point lead over second-placed Mercedes, meaning RBR will be crowned champions with a 1-2 Verstappen-Perez win if Mercedes fail to pick up a single point at Marina Bay on Sunday.
The scenario is also difficult, especially in the second leg, so RBR will probably have to wait to become champions in Suzuka – the home of Honda, which makes its engines. Although the celebrations probably won’t be as hot this year, with Honda having a deal with Aston Martin and RBR with Ford for 2026.
Source: sport 24
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.