How Max Verstappen can still become F1 World Champion in 2026

After the Singapore Grand Prix, there are officially still six Grands Prix to go in 2026. However, two scenarios need to be considered. Officially, F1 is still planning to hold the Grands Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but there is still a chance that the season will end with a Grand Prix in Imola.

Those two scenarios also mean a different number of points remain available. If Qatar and Abu Dhabi go ahead, there will be six Grands Prix and therefore 150 points at stake in 2026. If the season ends in Imola with a single-race weekend, only 125 points will remain available after Singapore.

Before the Singapore Grand Prix, Verstappen was 129 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Thanks to Verstappen's victory and Antonelli's third place, that gap is now 119 points.

If Formula 1 does decide to travel to Qatar and Abu Dhabi in 2026, there will still be 150 points available to the F1 drivers after Singapore. With a gap of 119 points and six Grands Prix remaining, this means Verstappen will have to win at least twice while Antonelli can score hardly any more points.

With six Grands Prix remaining, Antonelli could score no more than 30 points if Verstappen is to become world champion. This means Antonelli may score an average of no more than five points per Grand Prix. If Antonelli scores 30 points, Verstappen must win every GP. With 150 points compared to Antonelli's 30, Verstappen would then claim his fifth world title.

The other scenarios become increasingly difficult for Verstappen. In theory, Verstappen could also win the world title with just two victories, but Antonelli would then be allowed to score only two points in six Grands Prix. The chances of that happening appear particularly slim. If Verstappen wins just one GP, he cannot score enough points to overtake Antonelli.

If Formula 1 does not go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi in 2026, but instead ends the season with a single race in Imola, there will still be 125 points available to the F1 drivers after Singapore. With a gap of 119 points and five Grands Prix remaining, this means Verstappen will have to win every race to have any chance of overtaking Antonelli.

In addition to having to win every race, Verstappen will also need Antonelli to suffer a great deal of bad luck to secure a fifth world title in 2026. Antonelli may score a maximum of five points if Verstappen is to become world champion. If Antonelli scores six points in the final five GPs, they will finish level on points, but Verstappen can no longer beat the Italian on the number of victories. Antonelli already has eight, while Verstappen would finish with seven wins.

The chances of Verstappen becoming world champion in 2026 are particularly slim. Verstappen would benefit from additional races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but given developments in the Middle East, it seems more likely that F1 will end the season with one race in Imola. If the latter is the case, Antonelli could already eliminate Verstappen from title contention in Austin if Antonelli scores six points or more.