Next weekend, Formula 1 returns to action at the Las Vegas circuit. The final American race of 2024 will be decisive for the world championship title. The Dutch world champion has a 62-point lead over Lando Norris and only needs to finish ahead of the British driver to secure the title.
Jacques Villeneuve, speaking to Grosvenor Sport, commented on the possibility of Max Verstappen clinching the world title next weekend: “It’s an exciting place to win. He just needs to go around and finish.” The Dutchman started the season with four wins in the first five races, but Red Bull has since struggled to maintain the same competitiveness. Nevertheless, the Dutch driver managed to secure another four victories.
Jacques Villeneuve added: “The odds are very much in Max’s favor. He just has to go around and finish. If he wins in Las Vegas, he will be a very deserving champion. There are no issues. It will still be a great championship. It was already unexpected that someone brought the fight to Red Bull and Max. Whatever happens until the end of the season, it will still be a great championship and a good battle. And whoever wins between the two will be a deserving champion.”
FIA stewards have faced criticism in recent races after penalizing Norris at the United States Grand Prix and Max Verstappen at the Mexican Grand Prix. During qualifying in Brazil, Max Verstappen was angered by the stewards for taking 45 seconds to display the red flag after Lance Stroll’s crash, allowing some drivers to complete their laps while denying him the same opportunity.
Jacques Villeneuve stated that Max Verstappen, thanks to his understanding of the nuances in the rules, will secure his fourth championship. However, he also criticized the rules themselves. “By June, Max was so far ahead that we thought it would be a boring championship, but then Max drove within the rules, maximizing them. These are very difficult rules to write because they are never black or white. There’s always a gray area, and there are different stewards for every race. So, the same action is judged differently, race by race. Drivers don’t even know if they will be penalized or if the other driver will be penalized for the same action. This makes everything very complicated.”
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