With the 2024 season now concluded and Max Verstappen crowned world champion for the fourth time in a row, Dutch media outlet Viaplay came out with their customary end-of-season wrap-up with the Red Bull driver.
The 27-year-old was kind enough to run back his memory to his championship-winning moment this year. After a hard-fought season with many niggling issues for the Dutchman, both on and off the track, he took the chequered flag at the Las Vegas GP in P5 — enough to secure the title.
“When you cross the line and become champion, the entire season flashes before your eyes. I was also happy it was finally done,” he said as quoted on X (formerly Twitter).
Max Verstappen clinched his fourth world title in Las Vegas. Describing the moment, he says: “When you cross the line and become champion, the entire season flashes before your eyes. I was also happy it was finally done.”
1/2 https://t.co/CQOImUmmlW pic.twitter.com/Xq1G4E8RYV
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) December 16, 2024
Verstappen has now seen all sorts of championship wins. Close duels with Lewis Hamilton in 2021, a season of utter dominance last year but 2024 comes out to be his most satisfactory triumph.
The #1 driver admitted that he was fighting with his RB20 many times throughout the year. “It wasn’t the nicest car in terms of balance. So I was relieved the championship was decided,” he added.
At times, the 27-year-old even lost his cool and expressed frustration towards his team. But all that was a small roadblock before fortune favored him owing to his persistence.
Will Verstappen’s resolve pay off in 2025 too?
Despite Red Bull’s disastrous mid-season drop, the Dutchman had picked up seven wins in the first half of the season. That proved to be enough for him to keep the likes of Lando Norris at bay, who were catching up to the Bulls with each passing race.
In the end, Verstappen dug deep in his resolve to eke out the championship with inferior machinery. But the luxury of handy wins isn’t something he can count on going into 2025 — in fact the Dutchman has only won twice in the last 14 races.
With the starting grid looking like it will carry over from the pecking order in Abu Dhabi, the RB21 will be practically the third fastest car behind the McLarens and Ferraris. If that is the case, it could spell the end of Verstappen’s era of dominance in the sport.
