RUNAWAY Championship Leader Red Bull's Max Verstappen is set to wrap up this year's Championship earlier than expected but will have to wait as the sport pauses for the Summer Break to become a Triple Word Champion.
04/08/23
The Two-Time Champion is currently on a streak of eight consecutive victories and will be on home soil when the sport reconvenes on the 27th of August for the Dutch Grand Prix as he aims to break yet another record.
Standing on the top step of the podium, the Dutchman will match Sebastian Vettel's 2013 record of nine consecutive victories with the Reigning Champion then looking to move the goalposts further at the following race in Italy, Monza.
At the recent Belgian Grand Prix, a tactical gearbox change led to Verstappen being demoted from Pole Position to sixth but the Dutchman made light work of overtaking his opponents.
Breezing past Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez for the lead of the race on lap 17, Verstappen then pulled out a pit-stop margin over the chasing pack - crossing the finish line over 22 seconds ahead at the end of 44 lap race.
Verstappen's seemingly insurmountable lead in the championship of 125 points is the second largest gap between team-mates at the Summer Break since 2012 when Ferrari's Fernando Alonso led Felipe Massa by 139 points.
With Perez's inconsistency and poor run of form since the Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen has opened up an extremely comfortable cushion in the Championship with the Dutchman set to become a Triple World Champion a handful of races after the Summer Break.
Verstappen could clinch this year's title just three races after the Summer Break with the Singapore Grand Prix his first real opportunity to secure his third crown. He'll need to hold a 207 point advantage over the second closest driver to leave the Marina Bay Circuit as Champion.
The next two rounds following the Singapore Grand Prix are the more likely events in where he'll be able to walk away as Champion. Verstappen needs a cushion of 181 points after the Japanese Grand Prix or a lead of 147 points following the sport's return to Qatar to seal the deal.
With Verstappen and Perez first and second in the Championship, it means that Red Bull are on course for a second consecutive Constructor's title; currently on 503 points.
Verstappen's commanding lead and current points tally of 314 points is enough to keep his Red Bull team ahead in the Constructor's Championship without the need of Perez with Mercedes on 247 points.
Featured Image: By Adrian Hernandez