Max Verstappen’s three-word message to Daniel Ricciardo on the team radio after his potential final F1 race

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Max Verstappen held his own during the Singapore Grand Prix to deliver his best result in three races with an important second place.

He limited the damage that championship rival Lando Norris could do to him, with the Brit winning around Marina Bay by over 20 seconds.

It was a commanding victory which sees Verstappen’s lead at the top slashed to 52 points with just seven races left this season.

With McLaren clearly the fastest car still, pressure continues to build on the Dutchman, who knows that he must finish second in every race to claim a fourth consecutive title.

Max Verstappen thanks Daniel Ricciardo for stealing fastest lap

Every point could matter this season – current Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will tell any of the drivers that, having lost out on a championship by one point in 2007.

With Red Bull no longer enjoying the advantage that they once did, they were unable to steal the fastest lap of the race from Norris towards the end.

READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo’s worrying response to Helmut Marko’s comments amid his uncertain F1 future

Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo stopped late on to help take the fastest lap and the extra point away from McLaren and help Verstappen out.

The Dutchman was notified after the race that his friend came to his assistance at the end of the race by his team on the pit wall.

“Your old pal Daniel picked up fastest lap at the end as well Max,” said his team.

“Thank you Daniel,” Verstappen replied.

Verstappen can win title without fastest lap bonuses

At the time of writing, the point stripped away from Norris appears to have fairly big implications for the championship fight.

According to F1 statistician Sean Kelly on X (formerly known as Twitter), Verstappen can afford to finish second in every race, including the sprints, and still claim the title without any fastest laps.

It means that there is slightly less pressure on the three-time champion, but finishing second at every event still seems like a handful.

Oscar Piastri has proven that he can win and be a menace for his rivals to deal with, and will definitely get in Verstappen’s way a few times.

READ MORE: Sam Bird left amazed by ‘stunning’ Oscar Piastri moment during the Singapore Grand Prix

So unless Red Bull can unlock slightly more pace from their car, it appears that it could still be McLaren’s drivers’ and constructors’ championship to lose.

All it takes is for one retirement for either side to tip the title either way – making it incredibly finely poised heading into the final seven rounds of the 2024 season.