Triple header that starts in Baku could let Antonelli wrap up the title — if everything falls his way

F1.com's points-permutations piece lays out the strict pathway: win in Baku, win the relocated Bahrain race in Malaysia, then win both the Singapore Sprint and the Singapore Grand Prix while Russell scores zero across those events. That scenario would put Antonelli beyond reach with rounds still remaining.

This isn't a forecast — it's a mathematical possibility. Sky Sports' preview underlines why the schedule makes such a scenario thinkable: 83 points are available across these three weekends (75 from three grands prix plus the eight Sprint points), and Mercedes' package looks well-suited to at least some of the circuits involved.

The sequence mixes a high-speed street track (Baku), a power- and heat-sapping Sepang layout (Malaysia) and the physically punishing Marina Bay Sprint weekend (Singapore). Sky notes Mercedes' straight-line power as an advantage on Baku's long sectors; Sepang's heat and tyre degradation will test thermo-management; Singapore is a sprint-and-endurance grind where mistakes are costly.

Put together, three consecutive weekends magnify reliability and fitness. A team that combines pace with faultless execution can convert a points lead into a practical unassailable advantage much faster than in a season spaced with recovery weekends.

Red Bull confirmed Isack Hadjar is fit to return for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after missing three races with a wrist injury, with Liam Lawson reverting to the junior Racing Bulls role for the time being. That's a straight personnel change—Hadjar alongside Max Verstappen—and it matters because any reshuffle at a front-running team affects sprint setups, practice mileage and qualifying runs over a compact race swing.

The return tightens Red Bull's line-up but also collapses practice time for Hadjar at a tricky Baku layout; how quickly he regains race sharpness will be one subplot of the weekend.