Following Max Verstappen's utterly dominant display in last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix,
the question is not if but when the Dutchman will clinch his second Formula 1 world drivers' title. Let's dive into when Verstappen can reasonably expect to celebrate.
After seeing Verstappen romp home to victory from P14 on the grid Mercedes team boss Wolff suggested that "
we are in a situation where the championship will be concluded in Europe, probably".
While technically not possible, Wolff's hyperbolic comment was perhaps a factor of just how soul-destroying Verstappen's pace was for the competition.
After being kept honest by Charles Leclerc and Ferrari in the opening third of the season,
Verstappen is now running riot in the championship, starving whatever was left of the 2022 title battle of oxygen and instead placing it on life support.
With just 216 points still on offer across the final eight races, which includes one more sprint in Brazil,
Verstappen now holds a 93-point lead on nearest competitor Sergio Perez and 98 on Leclerc,
making a repeat of 2021's final race title showdown extremely implausible. All Verstappen needs is four wins from the remaining eight races to seal the deal.
Verstappen wrapping up the title at his earliest convenience could happen as soon as Singapore,
with five races remaining, but then he needs to win the next three races in Zandvoort, Monza and Singapore with both Perez and Leclerc not scoring a single point.