Max Verstappen has once again showed the world why he is the best Formula 1 driver of this generation. On Saturday night, he won his fourth Formula One world title in a row at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Dutchman finished fifth in a race won by Mercedes’ George Russell, becoming only the sixth driver to win four championships, joining Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost.
Verstappen only needed to stay clear of Lando Norris for the championship with two races remaining. Verstappen’s weekend did not start well. During the first two practice sessions, Red Bull struggled to find speed and even brought the wrong rear wing to the circuit. For the lengthy straightaway down Las Vegas Boulevard, the car received a larger downforce attachment rather than a smaller wing. That did not matter.
Max Verstappen qualified fifth and finished second in the first stage of the race. He slipped behind in the second half but was still well clear of Norris, who finished sixth and was over 10 seconds down before making a free pit stop with two circuits to go for fresh tyres and a shot at the fastest lap of the race. Verstappen won the championship before the season ended.
Max Verstappen’s title run redefines consistency
Norris, who had steadily taken away at Verstappen’s advantage throughout the second part of the season, started sixth on the grid, slightly behind his opponent. He pitted as early as the tenth lap, dropping to 17th place. Max Verstappen jumped in two laps later, replacing medium tyres for hard on his Red Bull and rejoining in sixth place. Russell remained in pole position in his Mercedes after the early stops.
Verstappen finished second, with Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc, as well as Hamilton in the second Mercedes, providing a significant gap between the Dutchman and Norris. The Englishman’s mood beneath the lights worsened at the midway mark. After the win, Max Verstappen said, “Oh my god what a season, four times, thank you guys. It’s a little more difficult than last year, but we pulled through. Thank you so much, guys.”
