Verstappen vs Norris: title rivalry's twists and turns

Paddock mystic Kieran Jackson gazes into his crystal ball to predict how the last six races of the F1 season will pan out

- Kieran Jackson

Lando Norris closed the gap to Max Verstappen in the F1 title stakes to 52 points with his dominant victory at the Singapore Grand Prix – but is the deficit closing quickly enough for the McLaren driver?

The chase has been on to catch Red Bull’s Verstappen, himself eyeing a fourth consecutive F1 world championship, for some time as Norris targets what would be a sensational comeback triumph.

Who knows how important Daniel Ricciardo’s late fastest lap of the race could be too, with Norris the previous beneficiary of that extra point. Statistically, it now means that Verstappen could claim the title by finishing in second place in every race to Norris, regardless of who claims the fastest-lap bonus point.

Of course, that eventuality is extremely unlikely in a period when F1 is at peak competitiveness. But will McLaren also regret switching Oscar Piastri and Norris at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix in July? If they hadn’t, the deficit to Verstappen would be 45 points. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to seven points at the end of the season.

There are still 180 points up for grabs in the remaining six rounds – including three sprint races – when F1 returns after a four-week break with the US Grand Prix in October.

So, can Norris catch Verstappen? Will the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 8 December have a title on the line for the first time since 2021? The Independent takes a look at the state of play and makes some ambitious predictions about how things could play out.

United States Grand Prix – 18-20 October

Points available: 34

Straight off a four-week break comes a crucial race weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.