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Verstappen can win 2nd F1 title if he wins Singapore GP


While last year’s intense battle for the Formula 1 championship has come to an end and captivated the sports world, this year’s championship has long felt like a procession for Max Verstappen.

It could all be over on Sunday if the Red Bull driver wins the Singapore Grand Prix and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc falls apart.

Verstappen leads Leclerc by 116 points and will win the title if he scores 22 more than Leclerc, his most realistic head-to-head challenger.

Verstappen, who turned 25 on Friday, must win to claim his second world title, along with two other situations involving Leclerc. If Verstappen wins, Leclerc cannot finish higher than ninth; If Verstappen wins and earns bonus points for the fastest lap, Leclerc can finish no higher than eighth.

“It was a pretty long shot,” Verstappen said. “I need a lot of luck for it to happen here, so I don’t really count on it.”

More realistically Verstappen secured the title at the Japanese GP on October 9.

“I think Suzuka will be my first proper chance to win this title,” said the Dutchman. “So I’m really looking forward to going to Singapore right now, but I’m also looking forward to next week.”

However, there will be no tension at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday night, as in Abu Dhabi last year when Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton lost the title in the final round to Verstappen. Hamilton missed out on a record eighth F1 title in a controversial finish after a chaotic late restart.

The fact that fans will not be able to see any such film this season is something that makes Hamilton very sad.

“I feel for the fans. . . Last year, going straight down the rope, it was stressful for everyone and so it was never great when the season ended early,” Hamilton said. “For you, as an individual (winner) it is great, but for the actual sport (it) it is not spectacular. Let’s hope in the future that it gets a little better.”

Verstappen’s team-mates Sergio Perez (125 points back), Mercedes driver George Russell (132 points behind) and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr (152) are just the math title challengers.

However, Red Bull is unlikely to allow Perez a chance to beat Verstappen and will deploy him to protect its star driver. Verstappen has won 11/16 races, including the previous five, bringing his career total to 31.

“It’s been a really special season and I’m enjoying it a lot,” he said. “But I (will) enjoy it more after the season, looking back on it.”

He has also won seven different grid positions – a one-season F1 record – including starting from 14th at the Belgian GP last month.

“It’s even better to see while you’re in the car,” said McLaren driver Lando Norris. “Especially when he started (far back) and still won pretty easily.”

Hamilton didn’t come close enough to challenge Verstappen this year, after so long in the spotlight.

Two of Hamilton’s titles were on the final day: 2008 with a pass at the last corner of the last race, and in 2014 when he beat then Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg at Abu Dhaka. Two years later, he lost the title in the final race to Rosberg.

Hamilton won the championship with three races left in 2015, and when he won the 2020 title at the Turkish GP in a season shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic.

That took him up to seven titles alongside the great Michael Schumacher, who won in 2002 with six races left. A stellar campaign saw Schumacher finish first or second in 16 of 17 races, and third in Malaysia – a race won by his younger brother, Ralf.

ELUSIVE WINNER

Hamilton has won a record 103 races but none this season.

Mercedes has struggled with ground effects, where the floorboards create aerodynamic traction – a problem known as tipping or bouncing – particularly hard on streets like Monaco or Azerbaijan.

Singapore’s narrow and sinewy 5 km (3.1 mi) streets can once again be a challenge.

“We hope that the car performs better here. It really depends on how bumpy it is, and bumps often throw the car off course,” says Hamilton. “Perhaps the car will be fine. Maybe it won’t. “

He thinks Mercedes has found a way to maximize opportunities when they come.

“We know where those restrictions are. We just have to try and work around them,” he said. “I think we’ve been very lucky, I think we’re in a much better place. So I hope that we are not far away (from a victory). “

However, Russell seems to have coped better and leads Hamilton in sixth place with 35 points on the leaderboard. He has seven finishes on the podium compared to Hamilton’s six.

ALBON BACK

Williams’ driver Alex Albon returned to racing just three weeks after being hospitalized with appendicitis and then respiratory failure.

Albon jumped back to Williams FW44 and completed two training sessions on Friday in hot and humid evening conditions.

The driver lost about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of weight from dehydration during Sunday’s race.

SECTIONS OF PRACTICES

Hamilton hit form to lead the first training session from Verstappen and Leclerc.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr topped practice second ahead of Leclerc and Russell, with Verstappen in fourth but spending less time on the track.

At P1, Leclerc returned to the team garage with the mechanics on brake for 20 minutes.

Near the end of P2, Pierre Gasly jumped out of his AlphaTauri car in the pitlane as his team quickly extinguished the flames coming from behind.

There’s a third practice session on Saturday before qualifying under floodlights.

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