Max Verstappen is enduring a challenging season in 2024, with several drivers consistently battling him for race wins. Remarkably, the Dutchman hasn’t secured a victory in the last eight races — a stark contrast to just a year ago when he was dominating the grid. On this day, October 7th, 2023, Verstappen won his third World Championship.
Verstappen, who was already 209 points ahead of Charles Leclerc (in P2) heading into the Qatar GP Sprint Race that day, had his Championship win virtually secured even before the race began. In fact, he didn’t even have to win the Sprint to stand tall that evening.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished P1 that evening at the Lusail International Circuit, with Verstappen in P2. But the Dutchman had gotten enough points, which he needed to become champion of the World for the third time.
Verstappen won his first two titles in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and his win in Qatar exactly one year ago put him on an elite list. Joining Juan Manuel Fangio, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Michael Schumacher, Verstappen became the fifth driver ever to win three in a row.
It’s exactly a year since Max won his third F1 world championship in what was to be the greatest individual season in the sport’s history:
Most wins in a season (19 out of 22)
Most points in a season (575 points)
Longest winning streak (10 consecutive wins)
Most… pic.twitter.com/OKYnpfLulg— Autosport (@autosport) October 7, 2024
The 27-year-old’s 2023 title glory is also considered by many to be the most dominant season in F1 history. With the high-performing RB19 at his disposal, Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races.
“Lot of great races. And I’m also super proud of the job of the team,” Verstappen said after his Title win. “It’s just been so enjoyable to be part of that group of people.”
Fast forward to 2024, and Verstappen isn’t enjoying nearly as dominant a season. While he still leads the Championship, his advantage has shrunk to 52 points, putting him at risk of losing the crown to McLaren’s Lando Norris. If Verstappen finishes below P2 in any of the remaining races, his title defense could be in jeopardy.
