Max Verstappen had not won the championship before the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend began but such were the emotions after his sensational victory in Sao Paulo that he claimed he would win his fourth title this year until and unless something dramatic happened. F1 presenter Lawrence Barretto shared the details of the conversation he had with Verstappen after his title win, stating that he had never seen the Dutchman be so open before.
“It was in Brazil when he crossed the line and after that epic drive from 17th to first is where he realized he had won the title. He was like that was the moment — ‘I have done it until something dramatic happens’. And I have never seen Max talk like that.”
“I have never seen him be so open and forthcoming in revealing that kind of detail about himself”, Barretto said in a conversation with Tom Clarkson on the F1 Nation podcast after the Las Vegas GP weekend.
Despite being relentless, Verstappen is usually never happy if he fails to win any race. However, last weekend’s Las Vegas GP was different.
“The worrying thing for the grid is that… Max is improving every year”
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Knowing that he had a brilliant opportunity to seal his fourth title, he ensured he did what was required of him by finishing in fifth, one place ahead of title rival Lando Norris. After crossing the line, he and the rest of the Red Bull team were full of jubilation, knowing what they had accomplished in what was an incredibly difficult campaign for them.
Verstappen believes what helped him win this year’s title was his remarkable consistency at the start of the 2024 campaign when he won seven of the opening 10 races. Considering that he just managed one win in the next 12, it shows how difficult it was to win his fourth title this season and add his name alongside some of the all-time greats.
Verstappen one of six drivers with four or more titles
What Verstappen has achieved at the age of just 27 is nothing short of remarkable. With him already having four championships in his name, he is one of only six drivers in F1 history who have won this many titles or more.
The other drivers include seven-time champions Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio, and fellow four-time champions Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. Meanwhile, when it comes to the drivers with the most number of race wins, Verstappen already finds himself third on the list.
With 62 victories, he is 29 behind Schumacher and a further 14 behind Hamilton, who will hope to add to his tally when he moves to Ferrari next season. Considering the rate at which Verstappen has been winning, many experts deem him the favorite to break the all-time records of both most championships and race wins.
So, it is more about whether Verstappen wants to break these records rather than if he will break them. The recently crowned four-time champion has time and again stated that records do not matter to him. Moreover, he has also hinted in multiple interviews that he may even retire after his current Red Bull contract ends at the end of the 2028 campaign.
