Max Verstappen is dependent on himself to secure his second consecutive Formula 1 title this morning. The Dutch driver, he must win the Japanese Grand Prix and set the fastest lap of this eighteenth calendar commitment to achieve one’s goal without depending on other results.
The Dutchman took pole position on Saturday at the Suzuka circuit, after beating Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) by a hundredth of a second, and will lead the starting group with his Red Bull.
Verstappen specifies, in any case, eight points more than Leclerc and six more than Red Bull teammate, Mexican Sergio Pérezwhich are respectively 104 and 106 units at the top of the ranking.
The 2021 champion may have lost pole position as he was being investigated by race management for a move that shocked Briton Lando Norris (McLaren), who had to go off the track slightly to avoid the World Cup leader. But the sporting authorities ultimately estimated that this incident did not deserve a penalty and a warning.
The rain falling on the Japanese circuit before the race, and which confirmed the weather forecast, became an extra topping by definition.
The Formula 1 race in Japan, minute by minute:
Verstappen started well, despite poor visibility due to the spray on the track, and took the position with authority of Charles Leclerc. On the contrary, the Monegasque’s companion in Ferrari, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, was unable to control his vehicle and crashed into the containment, causing the first exit of the safety car on the first lap.
Before completing lap 3, the sporting authorities decided to show the red flag and the competition was momentarily stopped.
What does Verstappen need to be a two-time Formula 1 champion?
After the agonizing seventh place in Singapore, Verstappen has a new chance to win his two-time championship in Japan.
With 138 points up for grabs (considering that each of the remaining five Grand Prix awards 25 points to the winner, plus each point for the fastest lap and 8 for the sprint race in Brazil on November 12), the Dutchman must leave the circuit located 400 kilometers south of Tokyo with a lead of 112 points.
If successful, Verstappen will become the third driver to secure the title four races before the end of the championship. Who were the others? The Germans Michael Schumacher, in 2001 and 2004, and Sebastian Vettel in 2011, always with Red Bull.
With this scenario, a victory by Verstappen in the Japanese Grand Prix will allow him to be champion even if Leclerc gets on the podium, as long as he is on the third step or even lower. But one detail can crown it beyond what the Ferrari driver does: win the race and add the point for the fastest lap.
The Dutchman will not be crowned on Sunday if Leclerc or Pérez finish ahead of him or if he ends up outside the top six as happened in Singapore. In both cases the definition will last at least until the race in the United States, October 23 in Austin.
IS
Source: Clarin
