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Max Verstappen is on the way to becoming a four-time world champion, so with three rounds remaining, just how soon can he wrap up the title?
Red Bull star Max Verstappen has his best chance this season of securing his fourth consecutive Formula One World Drivers' Championship this weekend in Las Vegas.
Verstappen strengthened his title lead with a remarkable victory in São Paulo, charging to the win after starting 17th on the grid.
McLaren's Lando Norris secured only eight points with a sixth-place finish, allowing Verstappen to extend his lead to 62 points.
Three races and a sprint race remain for 2024, with a maximum of 26 for each race, along with eight for the sprint, which takes place next weekend in Qatar.
Overall, there are 86 points up for grabs for the remainder of the season.
The maths are simple for Verstappen this weekend: finish ahead of Norris, and he will clinch the title.
To stay in contention, Norris will need to score at least three more points than the Dutchman.
But even in that case, if Norris enters the Qatar Grand Prix weekend 59 points behind Verstappen – with 60 points left on the table – the Red Bull driver would need to fail to score for the rest of the season, which is highly unlikely.
Should Norris win every Grand Prix and sprint until the end of the season – with the fastest laps – Verstappen would only be able to score 23 more points by the end of the year for the McLaren driver to win.
It would require results from the Dutchman such as three seventh-placed finishes in the Grands Prix – and third in the Sprint – which, given the Red Bull's pace in recent races, is also less likely.
If Verstappen secures his fourth title in 2024, he will join the elite ranks of legends such as Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost.
Las Vegas kicks off the triple-header this weekend, followed by Qatar, which will feature a sprint race.
The final round will once again take place in Abu Dhabi, marking the 10th consecutive year that the Yas Marina Circuit has hosted the season finale.
Emma has been on our television screens for over a decade. Most of her time in the industry has been spent at racetracks reporting at major motorsport events in Australia - from TCR and Superbikes to Porsche Sprint Challenge and Supercars. Emma has also hosted various MotoGP and F1 events interviewing the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Jack Miller. Having previously presented on an automotive show, she made her move to the Drive family in 2020. Fiercely proud of her Italian heritage, Emma is a coffee loving, stylish-black wearing resident of Melbourne.
