Singapore GP: Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel & Kimi Raikkonen's dramatic first corner crash

Formula 1 returns to Singapore this weekend for the first time since 2019, and Max Verstappen can win the world championship.

The Dutchman has been superb this year, and is on the verge of making himself a double world champion, which would put him alongside the likes of Mika Hakkinen, Jim Clark and Fernando Alonso.

A pretty handy group to be among and, given where Max is in his career, it seems likely he’ll add further to that tally.

He’s been in F1 since 2016 but is still one of the younger drivers on the grid and that gives him the opportunity to post some serious numbers between now and the end of his career, should he wish to stick around that long and provided Red Bull keep delivering with their cars.

It’s not always been plain-sailing for Max in F1, though, with him involved in a fair few high-profile incidents in his younger years, though the startline incident in Singapore in 2017 was surely one where he was an innocent party.

After getting a good launch, he challenges the Ferraris into turn one but finds Kimi Raikkonen, who had an even better start, spearing across his front wing and into team-mate Sebastian Vettel after they touched wheels, altering the course of the race and, indeed, helping pave the way for Lewis Hamilton to seal a fourth world crown that year:

Watch the full incident on F1’s YouTube page here:

Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, was another innocent party.

The Spaniard got a great launch but was collected by Raikkonen and Verstappen into turn one, ruining his race as well, whilst Vettel, carrying damage, was in the wall a matter of moments later.

In terms of the championship that year, it set Lewis Hamilton well on the way to glory.

He was three points ahead of Vettel going into the race and was