PremiumFormula 1 2024: Max Verstappen inches closer to yet another Drivers’ Championship win
Formula 1 2024: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen registered only his 8th race victory of the season in Brazil, starting from 17th position on the grid, taking his lead over Lando Norris to 62 points
Last Updated: 08.54 PM, Nov 08, 2024
There are only 3 more races in the 2024 F1 calendar and, if all goes well, at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 23, Red Bull Racing’s defending champion Max Verstappen could just take home the Drivers’ Championship for a fourth consecutive time. Verstappen, who had won only 7 of the 20 races ahead of Brazil, started from far behind on the grid at 17thposition and not only won the race, but also took the bonus point for fastest lap, extending his lead over nearest rival Lando Norris to 62 points.
Verstappen to seal the deal in Vegas?
Verstappen currently has 393 points, against Norris’ 331. The McLaren driver had started the race from pole, but ended up in sixth position. Race 22 in Las Vegas will decide if the Drivers’ Championship will head into a nail-biting finish. Should Verstappen win in Vegas, he seals the deal in his favour.
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But if that isn’t the case, the only way that Norris stands a chance if he wins all of the 86 points that are still up for grabs, including 25 from each race, 3 bonus points for fastest lap and 8 from the Sprint in Qatar. That is a pretty tall order, and unlikely for Norris to achieve. However, if Norris outscores Verstappen by at least 3 points in Vegas, the latter will be champion depending on the results of the Qatar Sprint and Race.
Meanwhile, in the Constructors’ Championship, Norris’ team McLaren is still firmly in the lead with 593 points, with Ferrari only 36 points behind at 557. Red Bull Racing is in third place with 544 and here, with still 3 races to go, the fight could go to the wire.
Fans in India can tune in to FanCode to catch up on all things F1. The next race in Las Vegas is Round 22 in a season of 24. There’s a month’s gap after Vegas, before Qatar (Nov 29-Dec 1), followed by the last race in Abu Dhabi (Dec 6- Dec 8).