Max Verstappen celebrates his fourth F1 championship, overcoming challenges in a season where Red Bull lacked the fastest car.
Max Verstappen secured his fourth Formula 1 title this Sunday in Las Vegas, joining Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel in the history books. Proud of this achievement, the Red Bull driver admits he never dreamed of such success at the start of his career and is grateful to his team for providing him with the opportunity.
“It sounds great. Yes, it’s something that, when you grow up in motorsport and see all these stats of legendary drivers, makes you think: ‘That’s very impressive, and I hope one day I can just step on the podium, win a race, maybe win a championship.’ Winning even one is already quite difficult. Of course, you also need a bit of luck to be in the right team situation to win more. But yes, we’ve been fortunate. Though I think that was mainly the case for the first three championships.”
“This year, we started well but faced many tough races. And that’s something I’m very proud of—during those difficult races where we certainly didn’t have the fastest car, we stayed united as a team. We also worked very hard at the factory, remained calm most of the time, and made virtually no mistakes. We really maximized, even overperformed in some places. Additionally, our competitors didn’t manage to score the points they should have. And all of these things, of course, matter when you’re fighting for a championship.”
The Dutch driver appeared emotional as he thanked his team over the radio during the cool-down lap, acknowledging that the emotions were more intense than those experienced during his 2022 and 2023 titles. However, his first championship in 2021 remains unparalleled in his eyes.
“Each championship has been very different emotionally. There will never be as much emotion as with the first one because that’s what you set out to do—it’s your dream and ultimate goal to win one. But this season was very different from the second and last year’s. And I think that’s beautiful because if they’re all too similar, it’s not as exciting. Honestly, when I crossed the line, I felt a lot of relief. I thought to myself, it’s done. It’s been a tough run of races, and I’m very happy it rained in Brazil.”
2024, Verstappen’s Best Season in F1?
Christian Horner believes this has been Max Verstappen’s most impressive season in Formula 1. Does the man himself agree?
“I think so too. Last year, I had a dominant car, but I always felt that people didn’t fully appreciate what we achieved as a team, winning ten times in a row. Of course, our car was dominant, but it wasn’t as dominant as people believed. 2023 was definitely my best season. Even on tracks where we didn’t have the perfect setup, we were still able to win races. But I’m also very proud of this season, because for most of it—I’d say even 70%—we didn’t have the fastest car, yet we still managed to extend the gap. That’s something I’m very proud of.”
Given the competition, particularly from McLaren F1, overtaking Red Bull after the first third of the championship, did the Dutch driver ever doubt his ability to secure another title this year?
“You always have to believe in yourself, but ultimately, there are many people who need to align, and many things that need to fall into place with the car, especially in the middle of the season when we faced a lot of issues and didn’t really understand what was happening. But I’m also very happy and proud of how the team reacted, responded, and turned things around a bit. At one point, it felt like we were a little lost, but at least now it feels like things are a bit more normal. Of course, here in Vegas, it feels like a one-off event—it’s very cold, and the layout is quite unique. But in general, since Austin, I think we’ve steadied the ship and are more competitive again. And yes, all the credit goes to the team. I know the season has been quite challenging for us overall, as well as for the constructors’ championship, but at least we’ve secured a title.”
Never Demotivated Despite a “Difficult-to-Drive” Car
Although the season was more grueling than the previous two, Verstappen did not struggle psychologically.
“For me personally, I never think about the mental aspect because, for me, it’s not really an issue. When I sit in the car, I just try to go flat out and do everything I can. And when I get home, I want to focus on other things. But of course, it can be frustrating sometimes, especially after such a streak of results last year. Coming into this year, everything seemed fine at first. I always told myself after last year not to expect another season like that—it’s very rare. But at some point, the car became really difficult to drive. It was then about working with the team because those tough moments can be very demotivating. But they’re also crucial to keeping spirits high, working harder, and trying to understand what’s happening. Because even in those moments where you give up, you also give up the championship.”
With four titles to his name at just 27 years old, Max Verstappen could potentially aim for three more championships to equal Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, or even surpass them with an eighth. But does he even want to, given his repeated statements about not staying in F1 indefinitely?
“You need the right team to achieve that over such a long period. It’s not something I’ve set out to do. Of course, if it happens, it happens. But I’m already very proud to have won four. I mean, in the end, whether you win one or seven titles, it’s the same thing, isn’t it? But, of course, if you can do it multiple times, that’s great. And, of course, I know that if we get that opportunity again—I mean, even when the car wasn’t the fastest, we still won—I know that whenever I get in the car, I will give it everything I have. Over the past few years, I’ve also grown as a driver and have definitely become more complete. In a way, I’m very excited to see what we can do next year. Right now, we don’t yet know how competitive we’ll be. But for now, I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”
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Verstappen Triumphs: Title Won Without Top Speed Edge Verstappen Triumphs: Title Won Without Top Speed Edge Verstappen Triumphs: Title Won Without Top Speed Edge
