Max Verstappen, would become only the sixth driver in Formula One history to win four world championships if he defeats his friend and competitor Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend. Red Bull’s three-time champion, who stopped a 10-race winless streak by surging to victory from 17th on the grid in Brazil three weeks ago simply needs to stay ahead of Norris.
He needs to keep the McLaren driver out of the top eight finishers to retain his title. The Dutchman, on 393, leads Norris, on 331, by 62 points, with 60 points to be gained after the Vegas race. He understands that he does not need to gamble as he strives to join numerous champions Juan Manuel Fangio (five titles), Alain Prost (four), Michael Schumacher (seven), Sebastian Vettel (four), and Lewis Hamilton.
After a blistering start to the season, in which he won seven of the first ten races, Verstappen saw a downturn that questioned his aggressive racing style. Verstappen’s return to form in Brazil, combined with his experience winning on the striking streets of Sin City in the inaugural Las Vegas event last year, puts him the overwhelming favourite to win his fourth title in a row.
Max Verstappen’s Fourth Championship Is A Sign Monotony
On the other hand, McLaren will attempt to postpone the inevitable as the F1 circus approaches a season-ending triple-header with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi on December 1 and 8, respectively. McLaren leads the teams’ title battle with 593 points, ahead of Ferrari (557) and Red Bull (544). Norris will need to beat Verstappen and finish in the top eight to keep his challenge alive.
With the constructor’s title on the line, he will race with strict instructions not to take too many risks after crashing out last year and finishing sixth in Brazil after starting from pole in a rain-soaked race. Following two incidents between the duo in Texas and Mexico, Norris’ McLaren team chief Zak Brown advised him to strive to, but not exceed, his limitations this weekend.