When the Formulation 1 season resumed following the Summer season Shutdown, two of the main storylines going through the grid centered on McLaren:
First, when would they clinch their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship title?
Second, when would both Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris lock down the Drivers’ title?
Nonetheless, because of a dominant win within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, one other query has emerged.
Can Max Verstappen full considered one of F1’s biggest comebacks?
When the grid went silent after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the place Verstappen completed ninth, F1 entered the Summer season Shutdown with Piastri main the Drivers’ Championship race with 284 factors. Norris, because of wins in three of the 4 races forward of the break, was second with 275 factors, simply 9 factors behind his teammate.
Verstappen was a distant third with 187 factors.
However a lot has modified since then.
Verstappen completed second to Piastri within the Dutch Grand Prix — the place Norris failed to complete after his MCL39 suffered an engine failure — and gained the subsequent two races, the Italian Grand Prix and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. That places him simply 44 factors behind Norris in second, and 69 factors behind Piastri.
Courtesy of Flourish, right here is how the F1 Drivers’ Race has modified because the Hungarian Grand Prix:
After capturing pole place in a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday on the Baku Metropolis Circuit, Verstappen went wire-to-wire within the race itself, taking the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for his second-straight win.
With Piastri crashing on the opening lap and Norris failing to capitalize after that incident and settling for a seventh-place end, Verstappen inched nearer to his rivals for the title, maybe establishing a dramatic remaining stretch of the season.
“They’re all a bit totally different, however I feel this weekend has been unimaginable for us. In fact, final weekend was already nice. However yeah, for us to win right here once more is simply improbable,” mentioned Verstappen trackside after the race. “And I feel additionally within the race, the automotive was working rather well. On each of the compounds, we had clear air on a regular basis, and you would then take care of your tyres. And yeah, it was fairly easy. In fact, it’s not simple round right here — very windy as we speak, so the automotive is at all times transferring round so much. However yeah, in fact, extremely pleased with this efficiency.”
Can he pull off this dramatic comeback?
If he does, it could go into the books because the largest comeback within the Drivers’ title race relating to the factors deficit. Sebastian Vettel got here again to win a title in 2012 by simply three factors after trailing Fernando Alonso by 24 factors with eight races remaining, and 39 factors with seven races left. Kimi Räikkönen gained the title in 2007 regardless of trailing by 17 factors with simply two race weekends left, that season utilizing a special scoring format than the present system.
Vettel was additionally down by 31 factors in the course of the 2010 season to win the title within the finale in Abu Dhabi, transferring into the championship lead for the primary time all season within the remaining race of the yr.
There may be additionally John Surtees getting back from 20 factors down with 5 races left in 1964, and the well-known duel between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in 1976, which noticed Hunt come again from 17 factors down in 1976.
However 69 factors with seven races left? That will be a staggering achievement.
Nonetheless, math and historical past is probably not on his aspect, one thing the dwelling legend conceded after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
At this level final season, Verstappen loved a 59-point benefit over Norris within the Drivers’ Championship race. That hole closed to 52 factors when Norris gained the Singapore Grand Prix in dominant trend.
However that was as shut because the title chase obtained a yr in the past, with Verstappen finally clinching his fourth Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas and finally successful the title by 63 factors.
Whereas he’s mathematically alive, as RaceFans famous through their Championship Factors Calculator, even when Verstappen have been to win the seven remaining grands prix — in addition to the three dash races — Piastri ending second in every of these occasions would see the Australian driver via to his first title.
Requested in Azerbaijan if the 2 current wins have given him a “smidgen of hope” that the title is inside vary, Verstappen pointed to the uphill climb.
“I imply, I don’t depend on hope. But it surely’s seven rounds left – 69 factors is so much. So I personally don’t give it some thought,” mentioned Verstappen. “I simply go race by race, what I’ve been doing principally the entire season — simply attempting to do the most effective we will, attempt to rating essentially the most factors that we will. After which after Abu Dhabi, we’ll know.”
Past the maths is the historical past. Whereas Monza and the Baku Metropolis Circuit have been fertile floor for Verstappen, Singapore, the positioning of this week’s race, has been a thorn in his aspect over his illustrious profession. Verstappen has by no means gained in Singapore, together with his greatest end coming a yr in the past when he completed second to Norris.
Greater than 20 seconds behind.
Verstappen famous that historical past after successful in Azerbaijan.
“Troublesome to say in the meanwhile, however for positive the final two race weekends have been wonderful for us. Singapore — utterly totally different problem once more with the excessive downforce. So we’ll see what we will do there,” mentioned Verstappen trackside.
“Effectively, I’ve by no means gained. Pink Bull has gained, proper? We’ll see. It’s utterly totally different. Excessive downforce. A whole lot of deg on the tyres, so we’ll see what occurs. I actually don’t know in the meanwhile,” added Verstappen.
To place the duty in entrance of Verstappen one other approach, think about this. F1 has raced at 25 totally different circuits because the 2022 season. Verstappen has gained at 24 of these tracks.
Two spectacular weeks have put the prospects of a fifth Verstappen title again on the desk, and put the Pink Bull driver right into a place he has not been in since 2021: Because the hunter, and never the hunted.
If his great kind continues via Singapore, and he breaks via together with his first win in that race?
Considered one of F1’s biggest comebacks can be upon us.
