Verstappen Nears Title as Brazil Shifts Championship Tide

McLaren F1 acknowledges Verstappen’s title path, with Brazil marking a pivotal moment in the 2024 championship race.

Max Verstappen’s father admits his son took a “very positive” step toward his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship title on Sunday.

Verstappen had been losing ground to Lando Norris for some time, but the gap is now back to a much more comfortable 62 points with only three races remaining.

The Dutchman could even clinch the title next time in Las Vegas. He just needs to leave Vegas with at least 60 points, as the last two races include a Sprint in Qatar, allowing him to collect an extra 8 points in addition to two sets of 26 points.

In other words, Verstappen just needs to finish ahead of Norris or lose no more than 2 points to him in the next Grand Prix to secure his fourth title.

When asked if this was a crucial moment in an intense 2024 battle, Verstappen agreed: “I mean, looking at it more closely, it was incredibly important because I expected to lose points.”

“I’m not focused on winning the championship in Vegas; I just want clean races until the end. But if I do become world champion, I will definitely look back on this Grand Prix.”

Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, believes “he really showed who is the best, especially after everything those English journalists, former English drivers, and English commentators have said.”

“I’ve been through a lot with him, but today was truly one of the best moments. We saw that anything can still happen, and very quickly. We still have three races left, and now we have a bit of a break. But things are looking good.”

Even Max had a message for his critics during the FIA press conference after the race: “I have a quick question. I appreciate you all being here, but I don’t see any British press. Did they have to rush to the airport? Or maybe they don’t know where the press conference is being held?”

Lando Norris was visibly frustrated yesterday.

“Max drove well, and he got lucky with the free tire change. It was a gamble with the safety car that paid off—it’s not skill, it’s just luck.”

Regardless, Norris now needs to gain 21 points more than Verstappen in each remaining race weekend. Even McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admits this is a setback in the drivers’ championship for Norris.

“Belief always depends on the mathematical situation. It’s clear Max sent a strong signal. It’s also a reminder of his strength. We’ve always acknowledged his abilities.”

“He’s a triple world champion on his way to a fourth title. It’s fully deserved.”

“But as long as we have a theoretical chance, we’ll keep trying to make this fourth title a bit harder for him.”