For the first time since 2019, Formula 1 will return to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix. And as fate would have it, it could very well be the race where Max Verstappen is crowned world champion for the second straight year.
Verstappen was unable to seal the deal in Singapore last week as he finished a distant seventh while team-mate Sergio Perez and closest rival Charles Leclerc went one-two, respectively.
But the Red Bull driver now has a much more realistic path to clinching the drivers’ championship this weekend, and he will no doubt be determined not to squander another chance to claim the title.
How Verstappen can clinch drivers’ championship
It was a weekend to forget for Max Verstappen in Singapore. The defending champion missed out on a possible pole position after a big mistake by the Red Bull team to under-fuel his car. Verstappen finished eighth in qualifying and wound up settling for seventh in the race as he was stuck battling in midfield for most of the race.
But despite his disappointing outing in Singapore last week, the Dutchman is still on the verge of claiming his second consecutive drivers’ championship.
Verstappen currently holds a 104-point lead over Charles Leclerc and 106 points over team-mate Sergio Perez with just a maximum of just 138 points left in the last five races.
So if Verstappen ends the Japanese Grand Prix with a lead of 112 points or more, he will be crowned champion once again.
The bottom line for Verstappen is that he just needs to outscore Leclerc by at least eight points and Perez by at least six points for the title to be his. So if Verstappen wins the Japanese Grand Prix while setting the fastest lap, then that would be enough for him to clinch since he would be guaranteed to outscore Leclerc by at least eight points in that scenario.
In-form Ferrari out to crash Verstappen’s party
However, out-performing Leclerc and Ferrari might be easier said than done as the Scuderia are suddenly in fine form over the last few races.
Leclerc’s second-placed finish in Singapore was his second in a row and his third straight podium. Meanwhile, team-mate Carlos Sainz finished third, his first podium in three races.
Leclerc will be a bit disappointed he hasn’t translated the pole he’s won in each of the two races into victories. He lost the lead to Perez right from the start in Singapore and was unable to claw it back from the Red Bull.
But the Ferrari No 1 will nevertheless be heading to Suzuka with renewed confidence that he can delay Verstappen’s coronation for at least one more race.
Mercedes look to bounce back
So much for the exciting battle for second spot between Mercedes and Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. With Ferrari’s double-podium finish coupled with Mercedes’ absolute disaster in Singapore, the Scuderia are now ahead by 66 points and will seemingly be comfortable runners-up to Red Bull.
Hamilton qualified in third behind Leclerc and Perez in Singapore, but he finished a distant ninth in the race as the team’s misstep with the tyre selection quickly dashed his hopes of challenging for the podium.
His team-mate George Russell had an even more torrid time, though. The young Brit started the race from the pit lane after exceeding his quota of power unit elements. And during the race, he collided with Mick Schumacher as he finished a distant 14th, the lowest spot among race finishers.
This was by far Russell’s worst race of the season and snapped his incredible run of finishing every race in the top five.
But both Mercedes drivers will no doubt be keen to redeem themselves and deliver some Japanese Grand Prix 2022 highlights in Suzuka, where they have had a lot of success in recent years.
History
This will be the first Japanese Grand Prix to be held since 2019. Valtteri Bottas won that last race, which extended Mercedes’ remarkable dominance at Suzuka. They have won each of the last six Japanese Grands Prix, with Lewis Hamilton responsible for four of those wins.
Hamilton has won the race five times in total, one behind Michael Schumacher for the race record. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel is one win behind Hamilton as he won the race four times from 2009 to 2013 with Red Bull.
What are the odds?
Once again, the most-anticipated driver head to head in the Japanese Grand Prix is Max Verstappen vs Charles Leclerc. And unlike other races this season, this showdown at Suzuka will have the world championship on the line.
SBOTOP Japanese Grand Prix 2022 odds have Verstappen favoured at 1.35 to finish above Leclerc, who is priced at 2.88. And despite finishing significantly behind Sergio Perez in Singapore, Verstappen is an even bigger favourite at 1.15 to top his team-mate this time around, with Perez priced at 4.03.
Perez has also been pitted against Lewis Hamilton, who is pegged at 1.75 to finish ahead. But with odds of 2.07, don’t discount the Red Bull driver to challenge for the podium once again.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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