Max Verstappen can end Lando Norris’ hopes of winning the drivers’ championship next weekend when the F1 summer break concludes, at the Dutch Grand Prix.
With Red Bull’s recent difficulties and McLaren’s staggering rise, many have hyped up a title fight for the drivers’ crown between Verstappen and Norris.
Norris sits 78 points behind Verstappen ahead of the final 10 races of the season, a margin which already looks uncatchable.
In theory, Verstappen could skip three races which follow the traditional weekend format, and return at worst level in the lead for the standings ( 25 points for a win, one-point for the fastest lap).
It is interesting that many are continuing to discuss a fight for the drivers’ championship, considering the biggest margin ever overcome is 39 points.
That was achieved by Sebastian Vettel in 2012, when he found himself 39 points behind Fernando Alonso with seven races remaining. Norris’ deficit, is exactly double what Vettel had to overcome.
Based on that, the chances of Norris beating Verstappen to the title even with a faster car seems minimal. However, whilst the media continue to hype it, the British driver’s dream will remain.
That dream, could die next weekend in Zandvoort, should Verstappen secure a fourth consecutive victory in his home race.
If Verstappen wins the Dutch GP, then he will leave Zandvoort with at least an 84-point advantage over Norris. This would be achieved if Norris finished second and claimed the fastest lap point.
Whilst this is only six points more than the McLaren driver’s current 78-point deficit, it would mean Verstappen could miss a third of the remaining races and lead the championship (not including sprint rounds).
A win for Norris would see his deficit reduce to around the 70-point mark, or potentially nearer 60 points depending on where Verstappen finishes.
With incredible home support though, it is just so difficult to imagine Verstappen not securing at worst a podium next weekend.
Of course, this depends on how strong McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari are, as four teams could easily be competing for victory. This would make a strong result tougher for Verstappen, who needs the RB20 to work well.
Verstappen returning from the summer break and claiming a blockbuster Dutch GP win would cause silence in the drivers’ championship, and very much hand the Dutchman the bulk of the trophy for the fourth consecutive season.
Red Bull will be hoping this happens, as it will allow more focus to be put onto the constructors’ championship, which looks more like a fight with McLaren only 42 points behind.
The constructors’ title is a very different story based mainly around the struggles of Sergio Perez but as far as the drivers’ crown goes, Verstappen can put it truly out of reach with a home win.
