Points permutations: What does Perez need to secure P2 in the championship?

Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton have been battling each other for P2 in the World Championship standings during the second half of the season. The Red Bull Racing driver has seen his teammate, Max Verstappen, cruise to a third World Championship, but the team are yet to record a one-two championship finish in their history. To do that, Perez must keep Hamilton behind. He can mathematically secure second place in this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Perez currently has a 32-point lead over Hamilton in the Championship. A gap that could've, and perhaps should've, been reduced by Hamilton in recent weeks. The Brit crashed (DNF) at the start of the Qatar Grand Prix and was then disqualified (from P2) at the United States Grand Prix because his plank had excessive wear. However, similar could be said for Perez, who crashed at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix.

After the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a maximum of 26 points are available at the season finale: the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Therefore, Perez must keep the gap above 26 to ensure second place in the World Championship when the chequered flag falls in Las Vegas. Hamilton needs to outscore Perez by seven points to have any hope of pinching P2 in Abu Dhabi. If they were to finish level, then Perez will stay above because he has more wins and (then) more second-places than Hamilton.

This means Hamilton must at least finish in 6th (7th with the fastest lap point) or above at Las Vegas to keep his hopes of P2 alive. Then he is relying on a huge points haul in Abu Dhabi. Should Perez finish in 9th, Hamilton needs to finish in 5th. Should Perez finish in 8th, Hamilton needs to finish 4th. This pattern continues forward. An extra point is available for the fastest lap, which could change things. For example, should Hamilton win and Perez finish second with the bonus point, then Perez would've done enough.

Realistically, Hamilton needs Perez to finish outside the points or record a DNF at one or even both races. Should Perez fail to score at both races, Hamilton still (in most cases) needs two podiums, and one needs to at least be on the second step. If Hamilton was to win either race, then he can afford to finish as low as sixth place (or seventh with both fastest lap points) if Perez remains pointless. It seems like Perez has the job done and won't have to worry about the P2 contract clause.