After his maiden title win in 2021, the 2024 championship was the toughest for Max Verstappen to conquer. With just eight race wins (with two races remaining in the season) as compared to a whopping 19 in 2023, the Dutchman had to navigate his campaign rather smartly. That is a quality that has left even Sebastian Vettel impressed.
The former Red Bull driver, who was all praise for Verstappen, hailed him for ‘doing it better than anyone else’. Vettel also revealed that he keeps in regular touch with the crowned champion. Verstappen, who built a reputation for running error-free races with an inconsistent car, made the German take notice of this ability.
“I’m happy for him, he’s just doing it better than anyone else at the moment. We are also in regular contact and get along well… What sets him apart now is that he hardly makes any mistakes and that he is there in the important moments,” Vettel said in a recent interview.
seb about max:
“i’m happy for him, he’s just doing it better than anyone else at the moment. we are also in regular contact and get along well .. what sets him apart now is that he hardly makes any mistakes and that he is there in the important moments.”
pic.twitter.com/OviQ96ppFZ— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) November 24, 2024
Of his eight race wins, Verstappen registered seven in just the first 10 races of the season. That was the period when he built a healthy lead over his opponents. Fortunately, it was enough to keep Lando Norris, who emerged as the prime contender for the title, at bay.
What further helped his cause was Ferrari’s resurgence as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz took away wins from Norris where Verstappen couldn’t. None of those factors, however, can take away the smartness with which the champion approached his races.
Verstappen kept his ambitions in check wherever he realized a win or podium finish was out of reach. Taking his latest race in Las Vegas as an example, he did not put up much of a fight against Lewis Hamilton. All of that was to prioritize finishing ahead of Norris and seal his fourth consecutive championship.
The similarities in Vettel and Verstappen’s championship wins
Driving for Red Bull is not the only common factor between Verstappen and Vettel. With his fourth title win, the Dutchman has finally equaled the tally of his predecessor. In another coincidence, both had those title wins in a row.
Interestingly, Verstappen took one day less to achieve the feat. While he took 1078 days to bag four championships, Vettel took 1079. Both would have shared this tally as well, had the Las Vegas GP been held on a Sunday as opposed to a Saturday.
The chain of coincidences could continue, though, and not for a good reason. Vettel’s title run came to an end after four and Verstappen could face a similar fate.
Given how Red Bull is struggling towards the end of this season, this poor momentum could carry over to 2025. Similarly, the positive trajectory of opponents like Ferrari and McLaren could also carry forward, making it incredibly difficult for Red Bull to get back in the championship fight.
