How statistics lean towards a Verstappen F1 title after three races - but only just

By:

Jake Boxall-Legge

Apr 19, 2023, 8:29 AM

Max Verstappen’s dominant start to the 2023 Formula 1 world title battle might lead many to believe that after just three rounds the crown will still be his by Abu Dhabi in late November. History points towards that being the case, but only marginally, looking over the archives of previous title tussles across the ages

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Worry not, Formula 1 fans: the fourth round of the championship is only just over a week away. The break between Australia and Azerbaijan has been extensive, to the point where F1 writers are desperately hoping for something to inspire them to waggle their pens about.

It might be easier if the championship battle didn’t look quite so cut-and-dried at this juncture; Max Verstappen sits atop the pecking order with a rather nice 69 points, 15 points clear of his team-mate Sergio Perez. Perhaps the current runner-up can offer Verstappen a proper fight in this year’s competition but, to a cynic’s mind, he may not quite have the legs to give the reigning champion enough of a challenge. Even if he does, Red Bull oversees the strings, and his aspirations will go as far as a team orders call.

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Jake Boxall-Legge

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Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.