Formula 1 set to visit Las Vegas, Max Verstappen may clinch world title this weekend

By Can Erozden

Formula 1 will visit Nevada for Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix as this season's leader Max Verstappen is on the brink of his fourth consecutive world title.

The 2024 F1 season's end is near as there are three races remaining, including this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the races in Qatar (Dec. 1) and Abu Dhabi (Dec. 8).

Red Bull's Dutch driver Verstappen will be able to win this season's title in Round 22 in Las Vegas if he finishes the race ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who is his nearest opponent in driver standings.

Verstappen, who was the F1 champion in 2021-2023, has 393 points to lead this season's driver standings.

Norris from the UK is now second with 331 points.

A maximum of 86 points are available across the final three Grands Prix of this season, which means a driver must be victorious in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to score this amount.

Every Grand Prix offers a maximum of 26 points. The winner of each race is awarded 25 points, and bags an additional bonus point for the fastest lap in every race. In addition, a win in the Qatar sprint will give an extra eight points.

The point gap between Verstappen and Norris is 62 before the Las Vegas Grand Prix. If Verstappen can keep it at least 60 points after Nevada, the Dutchman will secure his fourth F1 title.

To survive, Norris should outscore Verstappen by three points on Saturday.

Ferrari's Monegasque racer Charles Leclerc is third with 307 points but he could take the second place from Norris in Nevada or the remaining weeks in the Arabian Peninsula.

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix in Nevada, which will be run over 50 laps of the 6.2-kilometer (3.8-mile) Las Vegas Strip Circuit, will start at 10 p.m. local time Saturday, Nov. 23 (0600GMT on Sunday, Nov. 24).