Lewis Hamilton grabbed the pole position at Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on Saturday. Valtteri Bottas will start second and Max Verstappen third. 

Hamilton sliced Max Verstappen’s Championship lead to eight points by acing the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. The seven-time champion, who also won in Brazil, trimmed 11 points from the Dutchman’s lead in the title race within seven days.

With two races remaining, F1 is witnessing one of the most dramatic title fights in at least a decade.

Going to race day in Saudi Arabia, the championship is equally poised for both – Verstappen and Hamilton. However, a win in Jeddah might just tilt the scales towards the RedBull camp. 

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Can Verstappen win the championship in Saudi Arabia?

Well, he can. Here are the scenarios:

1) Verstappen finishes first with fastest lap

If Max Verstappen finishes first and wins the extra point for registering the fastest lap, he will need Mercedes driver Hamilton to finish sixth or lower to win the title. 

With Hamilton finishing sixth, the gap between the two will be 26 points, which means even if the Brit wins the last race, claims the fastest lap, and Verstappen fails to score, they will be tied on points. The RedBull driver will be declared champion on countback.

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2) Verstappen wins without fastest lap

If Max Verstappen wins the race and misses on the fastest lap, Hamilton will have to finish seventh or lower for the 24-year-old to win the title. 

If Hamilton finishes sixth, he would need to bag a victory, fastest lap points and Verstappen to not score at Abu Dhabi – the final race of the season. 

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3) Verstappen finishes second with fastest lap

For Verstappen to win the championship by coming second at the Saudi Arabia GP with the fastest lap points, he will need Hamilton to finish 10th or lower. 

4) Verstappen finishes second without fastest lap

If Verstappen comes second and misses on the fastest lap points, he will need Hamilton to not score any points, to claim the F1 title.