Max Verstappen could win his fourth consecutive Formula 1 drivers’ championship this weekend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Verstappen has been pushed hard by Lando Norris this season and it looked like the title race could take a turn strongly in the McLaren driver’s favour in Sao Paulo last time out.
Norris was on pole and won the Sprint Race at a rain-lashed Intelagos, while Verstappen was down in 17th after a poor showing in qualifying and a five-place grid penalty.
But the Dutchman produced a masterful performance to weave his way through the field and claim glory as the race and probably the title slipped from Norris’ grasp.
The Englishman’s sixth-place finish in Sao Paulo means Verstappen can retain his crown in Sin City. Here’s how the permutations look.
What does Max Verstappen need to win F1 title this weekend?
His success in Brazil left Verstappen 62 points ahead with three Grand Prix remaining — Las Vegas this weekend, Qatar on December 1 and Abu Dhabi on December 8.
Overall there are a maximum of 86 points on offer, with 26 for each race win and eight for the final Sprint of the year on the penultimate weekend in Qatar.
If Verstappen is 60 or more points ahead of Norris at the end of proceeding on the Las Vegas strip then it will be all over. Put simply, the McLaren man must make inroads into the lead as it stands to have any mathematical chance.
For Verstappen, the equation is straightforward: if he finishes ahead of Norris in any points-scoring position or if they both fail to score he will be champion. This will also be the case if Norris finished ninth without the fastest lap (two points) or 10th (one point).
The title will remain with Verstappen if he finishes in the points-scoring position immediately behind Norris in third or fourth with the fastest lap. Additionally, if Norris finishes one place ahead of Verstappen from fourth to eighth without the fastest lap it will be all over, as the differential would only be two points.
To take it to Qatar, Norris must outscore Verstappen by three points or more. Of course, for the chances to extend beyond mere mathematics, he needs to make a far more considerable dent.
If the title is still alive in Qatar, Norris must then get to within 26 points of Verstappen to take it to the finale in Abu Dhabi.
F1 Drivers’ World Championship 2024 updated standings, points
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 393 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 331 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 307 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 262 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 244 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | 192 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 190 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 151 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 62 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | 31 |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | 28 |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 26 |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 24 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 23 |
| 15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 14 |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 12 |
| 17 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | 12 |
| 18 | Oliver Bearman | Ferrari | 7 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Williams | 5 |
| 20 | Liam Lawson | RB | |
| 21 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber | 0 |
| 22 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 0 |
| 23 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber | 0 |
F1 live stream, TV channel: How to watch races in 2024
| Country | TV channel | Live stream |
| USA | — | FUBO, F1TV |
| Canada | TSN (English); RDS (French) | TSN Direct |
| UK | Sky Sports F1 | SkyGo, NOW TV |
| Australia | Fox Sports | Foxtel Go, Kayo Sports |
| India | — | F1 TV Pro |
