What Verstappen needs to do to secure World Title in Singapore?

As we head into the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, one of the biggest storylines in play is the fact that current Championship leader and reigning World Champion Max Verstappen has the chance to secure and wrap up his second consecutive World Drivers’ Title at the Marina Bay Circuit.

Verstappen currently leads Charles Leclerc by a whopping 116 points, while his own teammate Sergio Pérez is 125 points behind the Dutchman. Going into the Singapore race, there are a couple of scenarios which, if fulfilled, will see the Red Bull driver secure the Drivers’ Title.

In mathematical terms, Verstappen needs to score 22 points more than Leclerc and 13 points more than Pérez to secure the title. Mercedes’ George Russell also has an outside shot for the title and Verstappen needs to outscore him by a total of six points to put his hopes to bed.

Also read: Hamilton vs Verstappen: A look at their greatest on-track battles

Let’s take a look at the scenarios which would help Verstappen lock in that title under the iconic street lights of Singapore.

Scenario 1: Verstappen wins with Fastest Lap

The first scenario which will see Max Verstappen wrap up his second World Drivers’ Title in Singapore is if he wins the Singapore Grand Prix and takes the fastest lap, granted his two closest title rivals Leclerc and Pérez finish P8 or lower and P4 or lower, respectively.

Scenario 2: Verstappen wins without Fastest Lap

The other scenario in which Verstappen can take the title in Singapore is if he manages to win without the fastest lap. In that case, he’d be needing Leclerc to finish P9 or lower and Pérez to finish P5 or lower.

In this scenario, even if Leclerc or Pérez took the fastest lap, there would be nothing to stop Verstappen from securing the title. 

Scenario 3: Verstappen doesn’t win

The third scenario is the one in which Verstappen is unable to win the Singapore Grand Prix. If the Red Bull driver can’t take the win in Singapore, then no matter where Leclerc or Pérez finish, the title fight will continue on to the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka the following weekend.

If he is unable to secure the title in Singapore, Verstappen will be faced with another set of combinations and permutations for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, where he could then secure the title.