The early stages of an F1 season can be deceptive. A team may come in looking like the fastest, with drivers making a stunning start to the campaign — only to fall flat as the year progresses. Just ask Max Verstappen.
On this day (March 2nd) last year, he bagged his fifth F1 Grand Chelem, which a driver is honored with when they get the pole position, lead every lap of the race, earn the fastest lap, and of course, win the race.
Verstappen had done just that in Bahrain in 2024 in the first race of his 2023 title defense. The then-three-time world champion was quickly expected to coast to victory in most of the races that season, earning his fourth world title and Red Bull’s third Constructors’ win on the trot.
Sadly, that high lasted for just five races.
In Miami, a new challenger rose. Lando Norris of McLaren ended up winning the Miami GP and sent a message to the rest of the paddock that there was a new fastest team on the grid. Yes, Verstappen won three of the next four races on the calendar, but it was largely down to his own brilliance, rather than Red Bull’s superior package.
In Bahrain #OnThisDay one year ago, having taken pole position the day before, Max Verstappen led every lap of the #BahrainGP, & drove fastest lap: his 5th #F1 grand chelem. At that point I thought 2024 was going to be as one-sided as 2023, but it didn’t turn out that way. pic.twitter.com/U9ahMyDCwK
— Matt Bishop ️ (@TheBishF1) March 2, 2025
The team that won 21 out of 22 races in 2023, most of them without breaking a sweat, was all of a sudden threatened. And Verstappen kept pleading with them to wake up, failing which they would lose the title.
Unsurprisingly, the Dutchman was right. His strong start to the season (seven wins in ten races) allowed him to defend his title successfully, despite Norris putting up a valiant fight to catch him. But Red Bull slipped down the pecking order to become the third-fastest team, finishing behind winners McLaren and Ferrari in the standings.
Grand Chelem and a grand title defense
Verstappen got over the line in the end. Though there were moments when his championship lead looked fragile, he held on. The Dutchman’s title defense was even more spectacular because he won it with the third-fastest car.
His Grand Chelem (or Grand Slam) in Bahrain also brought him level with Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari at five each. Only Lewis Hamilton (6) and Jim Clark (8) remain ahead of him.
Sadly, for the remainder of the 2024 season, Verstappen could not go for any more Grand Chelems. The field got closer with time, and dominating Grands Prix became difficult, even when he was winning them.
Later on, when performance deteriorated and balance issues plagued the RB20, finishing on the podium started to become a rarity. It was an extremely difficult year for the 27-year-old and the entire Milton Keynes-based outfit.
Unfortunately, 2025 doesn’t seem to be their year either. McLaren and Ferrari were deemed as early-season favorites with Red Bull showing signs of struggling with handling during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
