Verstappen still manages to win 4th straight F1 title in one of worst seasons of his Red Bull career
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands looks at the helmet given to him by the team after winning the Formula One championship following the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix motor racing event, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Matt York)Dutch-born Red Bull driver Max Verstappen looks at the helmet given to him by his team after winning the Formula One championship with the team after the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Matt York)LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen’s incredible 19 wins last season, including a remarkable 10 in a row, will likely go down as one of the greatest years in Formula One history.
But it’s this year’s eight-win season, Verstappen’s fewest since 2020, that he considers the defining moment of his career. Those eight wins were enough to win him a fourth consecutive F1 championship on Saturday night with his easy drive at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.He only needed to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to seal the title with two races remaining in the season, and he did it with a fifth-place finish that was all that was needed in a year in which Red Bull’s dominance had been tested by Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
With this championship, Verstappen became just the sixth driver in F1 history to win four or more titles, adding him to a list that includes such greats as Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost and former Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Juan Manuel Fangio.Starting the year in cruise control, winning seven of the first 10 races, Verstappen has taken a commanding lead in the overall drivers’ standings. But that seventh win came in June and, as Red Bull’s rivals caught up, Verstappen found himself on a 10-race losing streak as Norris slowly reclaimed the championship lead.
It was his recovery in Brazil earlier this month after his first win in months that turned things around and Verstappen insists this season will go down as one of his best. “Definitely, I mean it’s been a very difficult season,” the 27-year-old Dutchman said. “I had to stay calm because I think as a human being it can be very difficult at times. Of course, in some ways I still prefer last season.” I really liked it.”But this season, of course, I think I’ve learned a lot of lessons that I’m very proud.
How we dealt with it as a team. So in a way, of course, that makes this season very, very special and beautiful. I would say for 70% of the season, we didn’t have the fastest car, but actually we still extended our lead. So that is definitely something that I’m very proud of.”For Verstappen, his focus is so singular that any issues related to team performance, his personal life, or anything not specific to racing, were wiped away every time he climbed into the seat of his Red Bull.
The team was in turmoil as Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was investigated over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards an employee, and Verstappen’s father Jos appeared to be on a dogged mission to remove Horner as team boss.
Instead, other key executives fled, even as Verstappen won early in the season, leaving Verstappen to manage his own mental fortitude each race weekend. “The start was a bit chaotic but I think I’m pretty calm in these situations,” he said. “I think it’s going to be very difficult for anything to get in my way. I am very focused on the racing side, and I know that when I sit in the car I forget about everything, positive and negative. And I just focus on what’s in front of me, which is performance, and driving the car as fast as I can.”It’s unclear how long Verstappen will keep up this pace.
He’s made it clear he doesn’t want a decades-long career, and although he loves winning more than anything, it won’t bring him lasting satisfaction. “I think in life, every year, there are thoughts in my head: ‘How long do I want to do this? Where do I want to do this? What do I do about this?’” he said. “Obviously, what happens in racing life also happens in my personal life.
There are always things to sort out, things to think about.”It’s very important to keep my personal life and my racing life separate. But it’s okay to have those ideas in my head about what I want to do, but at the same time, I’m not one to make super extreme decisions. And I’m very happy with the situation I’m in right now. When there are difficult times, it’s very easy to say goodbye, forget them or ignore them.
But actually, I think it’s more important to face them, get through them together, deal with them, and try to move forward and refocus, and of course, in terms of performance and having fun there.
If it’s not fun, there’s no point in continuing. »He’s won four titles in 10 years in F1 and could theoretically one day break the record of seven championships shared by Hamilton and Schumacher. But it would be a long slog, and at this stage in his life, Verstappen doesn’t plan on racing until he’s 40. “I’d like to win 10 more championships, but I know I won’t be in Formula 1 in 10 years,” Verstappen concluded, before heading off in search of another alcoholic beverage.
After a beer, a champagne celebration and two gin and tonics, Verstappen was ready to celebrate being the biggest star in Sin City for the second year in a row.
