Max Verstappen became a four-time World Champion under the bright lights of the Las Vegas skyline, after what turned out to be a rather difficult campaign for the Dutchman. It was very different from his previous title wins, which is why many, including Harry Benjamin, declared it his best among the lot.
The BBC commentator highlighted the chaos, uncertainty, and controversies Verstappen and Red Bull had to endure throughout 2024, on the F1: Chequered Flag podcast.
“Off the track, there’s been noise going against him with the allegations surrounding Christian Horner, the controversy that Red Bull and his team have been in, not to mention the relationship managing Max has had to do between his own father and team principal,” Benjamin said.
He also highlighted Adrian Newey’s departure and the subsequent loss in performance, which added to the pressure. The RB20’s handling kept getting worse with time, and Verstappen, after winning seven of the opening ten races, could win just once in the next 12.
“To fight back in all that adversity and to stay cool, calm, and collected, that’s what makes this his best world championship yet,” he added.
FOUR-FORMIDABLE
Max Verstappen joins five other F1 legends in becoming a four-time world champion #F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/j0Z9aMxdsS
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2024
Verstappen also secured the title in unfamiliar territory in Las Vegas. He needed to finish ahead of Lando Norris to mathematically seal his victory, which he did by crossing the line in fifth. However, that was as fast as his Red Bull could take him.
For much of the season, Verstappen was on his own. With his team in disarray behind the scenes, his teammate Sergio Perez more than 200 points behind him, and a car that was incredibly difficult to control, he still prevailed, largely thanks to the lack of consistency from his rivals.
The lack of a consistent threat to Verstappen in 2024
Although Verstappen won the 2024 title with a much slower car, he didn’t really have much competition. In 2021, the 27-year-old had to fend off Lewis Hamilton at every go, and their battle came down to the wire as they entered the season finale in Abu Dhabi level on points.
Norris put up somewhat of a fight but was not consistent enough. His poor race starts and McLaren’s own mistakes arguably handed the Championship over to Verstappen, since it was the Woking-based squad that fielded the strongest car for a large part of the second half of the season.
Max Verstappen on being a 4-time world champion
“Sound of course very good… seeing the stats when young you are like that is very impressive. This year we had a lot of tough races. I am very proud of the team for remaining calm. Most of the time “pic.twitter.com/gQBuVrOh63
— Laura (@formuLau16) November 24, 2024
Plus, Ferrari and Mercedes kept fighting for wins, which led to numerous multi-team tussles, that took points off Norris, who at one point was just 47 points away from Verstappen.
While it aided Verstappen’s pursuit of the Drivers’ Championship, it also knocked Red Bull out of contention for the World Constructors’ Title, which now appears to be heading in either Ferrari or McLaren’s direction.
