Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be a “big opportunity” for Max Verstappen to eat into the drivers' championship deficit.
Verstappen currently sits third in the standings, 36 points down on leader Lando Norris who took over at the top following a dominant drive to victory last time out in Mexico City.
With four rounds remaining in the campaign, Brazil is the next stop on the calendar - an event Verstappen has won at three times in the past.
Wet weather conditions are also forecast for the weekend, offering another boost to Verstappen, given his notable abilities on a damp track surface.
Palmer asserted a victory for Verstappen in Brazil this weekend will be crucial for his chances of winning a fifth title.
“I think it's still just about in his hands,” Palmer told the F1 Nation podcast. “I was trying to figure this out.
“Mexico was a hit because Lando's points gap went up, even if the gap to Oscar went down.
“If he wins in Brazil, I think it will be in the balance. If he can win there, the gap will be less than 30.”
However, Palmer noted the biggest opportunity for Verstappen lies in Las Vegas, a grand prix which takes place two weeks after Brazil.
Palmer is expecting the venue to be a struggle for McLaren and sees the potential for it to be left well down the pecking order.
“Vegas is going to be the big opportunity where you've got Mercedes, who will be quick,” he said. “They're always quick in Vegas.
“Ferrari is a wild card. McLaren could easily end up being sixth and seventh. That'll be the opportunity for Max to get 15 points out of the McLarens in Vegas.
“It's in his hands to get it down to the wire. If you're Max now with four races to go, you've got to just think, 'let's get the gap as close as it can be for Abu Dhabi', and then the pressure is on McLaren.
“We've seen so many strange things in season finales where, especially a team like McLaren, if they've got two drivers in the fight by then, start to jeopardise themselves by trying to do all this fairness talk.
“It's the chance for Max to do something special from a little bit further back.
“So probably it's in his hands to get close. Let's say that, and then anything can happen at the end.”
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look ahead to this weekend's São Paulo Grand Prix. Brazil being make-or-break for Max Verstappen's title chances is a lead discussion, as is whether Oscar Piastri will finally end his recent poor form.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
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