Japan, Qatar or USA: Where will Verstappen be world champion?

The big question is whether Max Verstappen will be world champion this Formula 1 season. After a record streak of ten consecutive victories, the countdown to his third world title had truly begun.

Verstappen’s ‘close follower’ has a 145-point lead over Sergio Perez. This weekend in Singapore, the 25-year-old Limburger is yet to secure a title.

But where and when? This requires some calculations, but these are the scenarios:

In Japan, Verstappen could claim the title for the first time. After the race at Suzuka he should have 180 points ahead of the competition. This is the most points a driver can still achieve after the Japanese GP.

With his current 145 points, Verstappen should be 35 points ahead of Perez. A win earns 25 points and one point for the fastest lap.

If Verstappen takes the full spoils (52 points) in Singapore and Japan, Perez drops out of the points once and finishes as high as third, closing the gap. Another celebration for Verstappen at Suzuka.

But with Perez in good form of late, Verstappen is more likely to secure the title after Japan. Maybe he’ll finish it in Qatar. Additional points can be earned in Saturday’s sprint race.

After the sprint race in Qatar, Verstappen has a 172-point lead, with 146 more than enough after the main race. Verstappen needs to increase his current lead (145 points) by one point. In short: a world title in Qatar is the most likely scenario.

If Verstappen scores fewer points than Perez in the upcoming races, he could decide the title battle in America. A sprint race and a main race will also be held in Austin.

He leads by 138 points after the sprint race and 112 points after the main race. Four more Grands Prix are planned: in Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.