2023 has firmly been the year of Max Verstappen and Red Bull as he is on the cusp of claiming a third World Drivers' Championship.
When Verstappen does claim the title, he will become just the fifth driver in the history of the World Championship to secure a hat-trick, joining Juan Manuel Fangio (four), Michael Schumacher (five), Sebastian Vettel (four) and Lewis Hamilton (four).
As of the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix, he has 400 points to his name following 13 wins and seven fastest laps from the 17 races, with two Sprint wins thrown in for good measure.
Across those 17 races, he has dropped just 35 points with teammate Sergio Perez the nearest challenger on 223 points.
That is a gap of 177 points with 180 points left on the board across the final six races of the year, which also includes Sprint weekends in Qatar, the United States and Brazil.
The table below, which will be updated after every Grand Prix until the title is won, factors in a best scenario for Verstappen in which he scores a maximum 26 points (34 on Sprint weekends) and Perez fails to score.
When can Max Verstappen win the 2023 F1 World Championship?
| Race | Points ahead of Perez | Points remaining | Win title? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch | 138 | 258 | Not possible |
| Italy | 145 | 232 | Not possible |
| Singapore | 151 | 206 | Not possible |
| Japan | 177 | 180 | Not possible |
| Qatar - Sprint | 185 | 172 | Possible |
| Qatar | 211 | 146 | Possible |
| United States - Sprint | 219 | 138 | Possible |
| United States | 245 | 112 | Possible |
| Mexico | 271 | 86 | Possible |
| Brazil - Sprint | 279 | 60 | Possible |
| Brazil | 305 | 52 | Possible |
| Las Vegas | 331 | 26 | Possible |
| Abu Dhabi | 357 | 0 | Possible |
History for Verstappen?
Based on the table above, the earliest Verstappen can win the title is at the Qatar Sprint race in October.
If he does so, it would mean Verstappen is the first driver to ever in the World Championship not in a Grand Prix.
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