Max Verstappen became a four-time Formula 1 champion

Max Verstappen Vegas Formula 1 The Grand Prix got off to a rocky start after Red Bull had to saw off the rear wing of the RB20 – literally. Three mediocre training sessions didn’t inspire much confidence that quali would be much better. However, as Verstappen often does, he pulled a rabbit out of the hat on Friday night to finish 5th in Saturday night’s race. The rest was history as the prodigy did exactly what he had to do to mathematically win his fourth F1 world championship, finishing fifth. George Russell won the race for Mercedes-AMG.

Despite the temperature being a couple of degrees warmer than Friday’s qualifying session, riders struggled to find their footing early in the race. Each was looking to capitalize on the others’ struggles, but the truth is that almost everyone was on a level playing field in terms of grappling. By the end of the first lap, Russell remained in first place, while championship contenders Lando Norris and Verstappen remained on the grid, fifth and sixth respectively.

Carlos Sainz started the first round of pit stops on lap 11 and it quickly became clear that most drivers would try to stick to a one-stop strategy, although some stayed longer in case another yellow forced them to switch to a two-stop strategy like in 2023 . After the field shuffled after the pit stops, it was Russell who remained in the lead, with Charles Leclerc in second and Norris in third. Verstappen made a slow pit stop on lap 28 which saw him move ahead of Lewis Hamilton but behind Norris.

A red-hot Lewis Hamilton took advantage of the pit rotation – with many switching to the two-stopper – to move into second place on lap 32, making it a Mercedes one-two with 17 laps to go. With seven laps to go, Hamilton trailed Russell by just 5.5 seconds and was closing in fast.

As the race approached the closing stages, Verstappen had a breakdown with both Ferraris that eventually dropped him from third to fifth. ​​​​​​​Despite this, the cameras showed the Red Bull Racing camp already in a calm but jubilant mood about Verstappen’s position, knowing it was only a matter of time before their man won his fourth title in just 10 seasons. A truly incredible feat that, despite all the drama and controversy surrounding his 2021 campaign, makes Verstappen one of the greatest. He also links other F1 stars such as his former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Alain Prost.

Earlier this week at a special test organized by Honda where Verstappen drove the Acura GTP Prototype– said the F1 champion Drive that he did not mean a certain number of championships. He stated that he had “There is no desire to win eight or nine championships” and he no longer has to “prove himself” to others. On the contrary, he has shown his desire to have more free time and enjoy life a little more when his current contract expires in 2028.

The F1 circus now heads to the Middle East to close the 2024 season with the Qatar Grand Prix on December 1 and the season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 8.

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