Can Max Verstappen clinch the Formula One drivers’ championship this weekend?

Max Verstappen goes into this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix with the opportunity to win his fourth successive Formula One drivers’ championship.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the state of play.

Now or never for Norris

Verstappen’s brilliant victory in Sao Paulo last time out extended his lead to 62 points with 86 to play for, and a huge advantage on the tie-breaker of race wins.

That means Lando Norris needs to take at least three points out of Verstappen’s lead in Vegas to even extend the title battle to the penultimate race in Qatar – at which stage there will be 60 points left to play for.

Mathematically, that means he must finish ahead of the Dutchman by at least one position, or by two or more in the unlikely event of neither making the podium.

In truth, though, Norris needs far more than that to stand a realistic chance – even sixth-placed finishes in all three remaining races would be enough to guarantee Verstappen the title, regardless of his rival’s results.

Tougher test

• 2021: 8 pts
• 2022: 146 pts
• 2023: 290 pts

Verstappen won his first title by just eight points from Lewis Hamilton in a controversial finish to 2021’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but has been dominant in the years since.

He won the 2022 title with four races to spare and by an eventual 146 points, then eclipsed that with a record 290-point margin last year and six Grands Prix to spare, including Qatar where he clinched the crown in the sprint race.

Norris has pushed him further this season, with the points margin unlikely to hit three figures and a maximum of two races to spare.

Elite group

Verstappen is set to join his Red Bull predecessor Sebastian Vettel and former McLaren and Williams driver Alain Prost on four titles in his career.

Only Michael Schumacher and Hamilton, with seven each, and Juan Manuel Fangio with five will remain ahead of him on the all-time list.

He would be the second-youngest four-time champion, a year older than Vettel. The German is the only previous driver to win his first four titles in consecutive seasons.

Verstappen has led the drivers’ standings since race six of the 2022 season in Spain, 60 consecutive races as championship leader – smashing Schumacher’s previous record of 37 between 2000 and 2002.

Sourse: breakingnews.ie