The Spaniard becomes the driver with the most races in F1 history, 351, the weekend in which the Dutchman has the first mathematical option for his second world championship
It’s too long a wait to return to Singapore. That is the general view of a grid that, after a short summer after Italy, has been able to rest and prepare for the always complex appointment in Marina Bay. The combined high temperatures and humidity, predicted to end in rain this weekend, pose an even greater challenge than the idiosyncrasy of the circuit itself, narrow and with no breakouts and under the spotlight.
While it won’t be the most comfortable of conditions, this could be a historic weekend as there is already a chance to see Max Verstappen crowned two-time world champion. The Dutchman’s dominance throughout the season has led to an early fix and there won’t be a blood-curdling end like that of 2021. The accounts are relatively simple: Verstappen clings to his second crown as he does what he accomplished in eleven Grand Prix this year, win, and Charles Leclerc can’t get past eighth and Sergio Pérez not fourth. George Russell and Carlos Sainz, fourth and fifth respectively in the World Cup, also have math options, but the carom is much more unlikely.
This scenario is not easy to happen, far from it. The first premise yes: no one doubts that Verstappen is the big favorite for the event in Singapore. Pound for pound, the Red Bull driver outperformed his rivals and the RB18 itself has been presented as the closest car to perfection. Along with unparalleled work on the wall and in the boxes, where Ferrari has failed, except for surprise, the first condition must be met in order to declare Verstappen champion: that he win. The other two are more difficult. It’s pretty straightforward that Checo Pérez doesn’t get past fourth place: with the two Mercedes, in clear growth, or one of them and Sainz sliding into that ‘top 5’, the Mexican can be seen behind. In addition, if necessary, no one doubts that team orders are coming, so that the one from Guadalajara does not become an obstacle to get his partner’s champagne.
What can happen at Ferrari is very different. Unpredictable as they are, the Scuderia know they have very little chance of winning the title, but the goal is fairly simple. With Leclerc finishing in one of the positions he has achieved in the thirteen races he completed in 2022, it serves to delay his rival’s alirón until at least the appointment in Japan. The problem is that seeing Ferrari is Russian roulette: you know you can touch the bullet any moment.
Statistics also play against Verstappen’s direct options. This season so far there has been only one result that, if repeated in Singapore, would make him champion: It was at the French Grand Prix when he won, his teammate finished fourth and Leclerc retired.
It is certainly useful for the story that Formula 1 may have a new two-time world champion this weekend. Another of them, Fernando Alonso, is going to take 351 top prizes played in the league, a figure that no one had ever achieved before. He will not go down in history by the number of wins, but by the number of races in which his name has been present. With renewed hopes of his next destination in Aston Martin, he must finish the job at Alpine for now before closing that door for good. The first challenge will be to silence Esteban Ocon who, very proudly, dared to compare himself to Lewis Hamilton himself as the only driver who had managed to overtake Alonso. On which Jenson Button, who finished better than the Spaniard in 2015, had to portray him.
With some innovations, Alpine doesn’t intend to be out of place in Singapore, where they have a few minor tweaks to try and sneak into the upper-middle zone. The team’s battle continues with McLaren in fourth place, clearly in decline, but at least it has a clear project for 2023. The Anglo-French team has been cast for months to find a replacement for Alonso, after both the Spaniard and Oscar Piastri, she slammed the door in their faces. What would the driver with the most major trophies in F1 history and a driver who hasn’t even made his debut yet see that both, in such a radically different context, have taken the same exit door.
Source: La Verdad
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
