At Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix, Mercedes pitted Valtteri Bottas for fresh tyres to ensure he snatched the fastest lap from Verstappen on the final lap of the race.
If Verstappen finishes ahead of Hamilton at both of the next two races, regardless of position, he would be able to wrap up the championship at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The current form book certainly appears to be in Verstappen and Red Bull’s favour.
Let’s say Hamilton wins the next three races with Verstappen in second place, scores maximum points for fastest laps and takes the three points for the sprint race in Brazil, he would only be eight points clear of Verstappen heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Were Verstappen not to finish the next race and Hamilton were to win, for example, Hamilton would go into Qatar leading the championship.