Max Verstappen handed 'not normal' backing as critical 'question mark' raised in F1 title chase

Sébastien Buemi has deemed Max Verstappen “not normal” and backed him to secure a record-equalling fifth consecutive F1 drivers’ title, although he has raised a critical “question mark”.

Former F1 driver Buemi, who now competes in Formula E and WEC and serves as a simulator driver for Red Bull, believes Verstappen does have what it takes to snatch the title in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen sits 12 points adrift of Lando Norris despite having been 104 points behind after the Dutch GP, with the Red Bull driver looking to complete a staggering comeback.

To win the title, the Dutchman needs Norris to finish off the podium and for him to claim victory. It remains Norris’ to lose, although Buemi recognises that Verstappen is far from an average driver.

"I think he can, but he’ll need a bit of luck," Buemi told RacingNews365. "I would say normality would be that Norris wins.

"But I guess Max is not normal. So with him, you never know — until the end, there is hope."

Verstappen 'is the best'

Verstappen enters the season finale following back-to-back victories in Las Vegas and Qatar; however, a McLaren win was highly likely in the penultimate round had the team not made a strategic error.

Crucially, Buemi acknowledged that Red Bull could not match McLaren at the Lusail International Circuit, particularly on the soft tyre.

Despite that, on the medium and hard compounds the gap between the two teams was smaller, with Buemi noting that how McLaren and Red Bull perform against each other on different tyres in Abu Dhabi is an interesting question.

Asked who he thinks will be quickest in Abu Dhabi, Buemi replied: "I think McLaren has shown in the last few years that they were very good there, but Max can always make the difference.

"So I don’t expect anything really different to Qatar. I think they’re going to be fast. Hopefully the gap will be less than in Qatar, because in my opinion they were a bit faster — mainly on the soft, not really on the medium.

"So that’s also a question mark. Sometimes on one type of tyre you are a bit better than the other. And clearly in Qatar, Max was very good on the hard and the medium, and somehow the car was not that good on the soft."

If Verstappen secures the title at the Yas Marina Circuit, he will match Michael Schumacher’s record of five consecutive drivers’ championships.

In Buemi’s eyes, the 28-year-old "is the best", and it should be the "best guy" who wins the title.

Discussing where it would rank among the greatest title triumphs of all time if Verstappen can claim the crown, Buemi said: "In a way, I hope that he wins, because I really have the feeling that he is the best.

"So I would prefer that the best wins. Obviously, it’s not always the case that the best guy wins, but for sure, if he wins, it’s one of those championships he should not have won. But if he wins, he wins it just because of him."