Max Verstappen became a four-time World Champion after finishing ahead of Lando Norris at the Las Vegas GP. This was arguably his toughest clinch since the 2021 title victory, but he still managed to retain his crown with two more races to go.
However, with the end of the party in sight, Verstappen will encounter several uncertainties surrounding his future. Red Bull isn’t the out-and-out dominant force it was a year ago and with the new regulations coming in 2026, he doesn’t know whether he will get another chance to fight for the title.
As such, he isn’t thinking about things that are out of his control — for instance, equaling Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s record of winning seven World championships.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four-time world champion!!! A season with a lot of challenges, but we worked hard as a team. I am very proud of us This would never have been possible without all the dedication and effort of everyone at @redbullracing A huge thank you to all involved for this… pic.twitter.com/mnekjbdC3a— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) November 24, 2024
“You need to have that momentum as well. You need to have the right team to be able to achieve that for a long period of time. It’s not something that I set out to do. Of course, if it happens, it happens. But I’m already very proud to win four,” said Verstappen.
For Verstappen, winning one title is the same as winning seven. And he has four already, so pushing for a new record or equaling an old one isn’t that appealing to him. However, Verstappen cannot be expected to not give it a try.
2024 was special for Verstappen, as he clinched the championship despite driving what was majorly the third-fastest car on the grid. For the first time since 1982, a driver from a team ranked below P3 in the standings won the title, which made Verstappen vow to fight again.
Verstappen boasts his superiority
The Red Bull driver had his moment in Las Vegas when he reminded McLaren CEO Zak Brown of his earlier claim that Verstappen could only win with the ‘fastest car’ on the grid. Having proved the American wrong, Verstappen could not help but bring up.
In the first few races, Red Bull and Verstappen looked unbeatable. After seven wins in the opening 10, the Dutchman won just one of the next 12. However, Verstappen stayed consistent, securing a large number of points. He arguably outperformed the RB20, with teammate Sergio Perez over 200 points behind him.
Max Verstappen to Zak Brown:
“And like you said, you know, before I could only win it in the fastest car! This year it’s been a little bit different!”
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) November 24, 2024
That could become Red Bull’s reason for not winning the constructors’ championship. But at the same time makes Verstappen’s achievement even more impressive. It would be interesting to see how he vies with his rivals next year, who might have better cars in McLaren and Ferrari with them.
