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Lewis Hamilton’s heroics at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix narrowed Max Verstappen’s title lead to 14 points with three races to go.
Verstappen still has the advantage, but it is tantalisingly close heading into the final three races.
The run-in looks as follows:
Nov. 21: Qatar Grand Prix
Dec. 5: Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Dec. 12: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
F1’s championship points are handed out as such: first, 25 points; second,18 points; third, 15 points; fourth, 12 points; fifth, 10 points; sixth, 8 points; seventh, 6 points; eighth, 4 points; ninth, 2 points; 10th, 1 point.
There is also an extra point to consider at each event, with the driver who scores the fastest lap gaining a bonus point, provided they also finish in the top ten.
Adding to the unpredictability of this season is that the next two venues are brand new additions to the F1 calendar.
Qatar and Saudi add an element of the unknown to the Verstappen-Hamilton contest, while Abu Dhabi has also made tweaks to the Yas Marina circuit to increase overtaking opportunities around the circuit.
The margin of Verstappen’s lead means the championship is not yet out of Hamilton’s hands. He will be champion if he wins the remaining three events, regardless of where Verstappen finishes.
Were Verstappen to win or finish ahead of Hamilton in Qatar, extending his 14-point lead, he would go to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a chance of wrapping up the championship at the penultimate race.
A 26-point gap to Hamilton after Saudi will be enough to secure the title before the final race, as a tied championship would be awarded to Verstappen by virtue of having more wins this year (he currently has nine to Hamilton’s six, meaning Hamilton would need to win all three remaining races to level up).
However, with F1’s points system providing points down to tenth place, there is the potential for a wide variety of permutations over the…
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Source : espn
