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Max Verstappen leads the 2021 world championship even after his title rival Lewis Hamilton comfortably won the Brazil and Qatar Grands Prix. The 24-year-old is tantalizingly close to securing his first-ever championship.
The 2021 championship is the first in the turbo-hybrid era to have pushed Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes to such limits, with their team principal Toto Wolff even stating that recent races have "woken up" the Lewis Hamilton of old.
The 36-year-old wasn't even contested at the Qatar Grand Prix, taking the pole by nearly half a second on Saturday, and cruising to the win on Sunday.
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Max Verstappen will win the championship in Saudi Arabia if:
There are 4 combinations of results which could lead to Max Verstappen winning the title at the upcoming Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. They are:
1) Verstappen wins the Saudi Arabia GP with the fastest lap and Hamilton finishes sixth or lower
If Max Verstappen wins at Jeddah and also takes an additional point for the fastest lap, his total would be 377.5 points (+26). If Lewis Hamilton finishes sixth or lower, Max will be crowned world champion as Max will have a 26-point lead going into Abu Dhabi, making it impossible for the Briton to catch up.
2) Verstappen wins without the fastest lap and Lewis Hamilton finishes seventh or lower
Similar to the first scenario, Max Verstappen could win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix without setting the fastest lap and still win the title only if Lewis Hamilton finishes in seventh place or lower. In this case, the additional championship point Max gets in the first scenario will be inconsequential if Hamilton finishes one place lower, still allowing Max to maintain a 26-point lead over the 36-year-old going into Abu Dhabi.
3) Verstappen finishes second, with the fastest lap and Hamilton finishes in 10th place or lower
Max Verstappen can also win the championship in Saudi Arabia by finishing second with the fastest lap, and if Hamilton places 10th or lower, with only one point or less.
4) Verstappen places second without the fastest lap and Hamilton doesn't finish in the points
In a similar fashion to the first and scenarios, if Max finishes second without the fastest lap and Lewis Hamilton places outside the points (lower than 10th place). This essentially compensates for the additional point awarded for the fastest lap in the third scenario.
In essence, Verstappen needs to create a gap of 26-points over his rival to ensure he takes home the title at Jeddah.
All eyes will be on Max Verstappen and Red Bull as they head to the first-ever Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton trying his hardest not to let the Dutchman run away with the title.
