SINGAPORE: Max Verstappen could possibly be celebrating greater than his twenty fifth birthday on the floodlit Singapore Grand Prix this weekend because the Dutch driver takes a primary shot at securing his second Method One title.
The Crimson Bull racer, whose birthday is on Friday, is 116 factors away from Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and 125 forward of Mexican crew mate Sergio Perez after 16 of this season’s 22 races.
Defending champion Verstappen is taking part in it cool, nonetheless.
“It’s a difficult circuit, the humidity is hard on the physique and it’s very troublesome to do an ideal lap due to tight turns and the way shut the partitions are,” he stated.
“I don’t actually take into consideration the championship, I simply need to have a optimistic weekend on observe and take it race by race, there’s no rush.”
There are 5 rounds after Singapore, providing a most of 138 factors.
Verstappen wants to attain not less than 22 factors greater than Leclerc and 13 greater than Perez on Sunday — that means he has to win and Leclerc end decrease than eighth for the title to be determined.
Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz are additionally in mathematical competition heading into Sunday’s race however solely simply.
Verstappen trailed Leclerc by 46 factors after the primary three races of the season however then ran away with the championship because the Monegasque’s problem imploded.
He has received 11 of 16 races, completed off the rostrum simply as soon as and heads into Singapore, a race he’s but to win and the place Crimson Bull haven’t triumphed since 2013, on a streak of 5 successive victories.
Ferrari have been dominant the final time Method One visited the city-state in 2019, with the race absent for 2 seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leclerc completed a annoyed second behind then crew mate Sebastian Vettel in 2019 and will likely be fired as much as take his fourth win of the yr.
Mercedes may also be eyeing their possibilities for a primary win of the season after making large strides in efficiency since March, with their automotive particularly sturdy on tight and twisty tracks like Singapore.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has by no means completed a season with out a win, and crew mate George Russell may also be cautious of the bumpy floor whereas security automobiles and potential rain may throw all predictions out of the window.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso will in the meantime set a report along with his 350th begin, another than 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen managed.
This yr’s race would be the first of a brand new seven-year deal agreed with Method One this yr, holding Singapore on the calendar till not less than 2028.
The race, staged within the coronary heart of town in opposition to a backdrop of glittering skyscrapers, has established itself as one of many sport’s most glamorous and well-liked.
A crowd of about 268,000 attended over the entire weekend in 2019 and organisers predict a sell-out this yr.
The Crimson Bull racer, whose birthday is on Friday, is 116 factors away from Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and 125 forward of Mexican crew mate Sergio Perez after 16 of this season’s 22 races.
Defending champion Verstappen is taking part in it cool, nonetheless.
“It’s a difficult circuit, the humidity is hard on the physique and it’s very troublesome to do an ideal lap due to tight turns and the way shut the partitions are,” he stated.
“I don’t actually take into consideration the championship, I simply need to have a optimistic weekend on observe and take it race by race, there’s no rush.”
There are 5 rounds after Singapore, providing a most of 138 factors.
Verstappen wants to attain not less than 22 factors greater than Leclerc and 13 greater than Perez on Sunday — that means he has to win and Leclerc end decrease than eighth for the title to be determined.
Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz are additionally in mathematical competition heading into Sunday’s race however solely simply.
Verstappen trailed Leclerc by 46 factors after the primary three races of the season however then ran away with the championship because the Monegasque’s problem imploded.
He has received 11 of 16 races, completed off the rostrum simply as soon as and heads into Singapore, a race he’s but to win and the place Crimson Bull haven’t triumphed since 2013, on a streak of 5 successive victories.
Ferrari have been dominant the final time Method One visited the city-state in 2019, with the race absent for 2 seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leclerc completed a annoyed second behind then crew mate Sebastian Vettel in 2019 and will likely be fired as much as take his fourth win of the yr.
Mercedes may also be eyeing their possibilities for a primary win of the season after making large strides in efficiency since March, with their automotive particularly sturdy on tight and twisty tracks like Singapore.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has by no means completed a season with out a win, and crew mate George Russell may also be cautious of the bumpy floor whereas security automobiles and potential rain may throw all predictions out of the window.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso will in the meantime set a report along with his 350th begin, another than 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen managed.
This yr’s race would be the first of a brand new seven-year deal agreed with Method One this yr, holding Singapore on the calendar till not less than 2028.
The race, staged within the coronary heart of town in opposition to a backdrop of glittering skyscrapers, has established itself as one of many sport’s most glamorous and well-liked.
A crowd of about 268,000 attended over the entire weekend in 2019 and organisers predict a sell-out this yr.