Jolyon Palmer outlines the race Max Verstappen didn’t win that spoke ‘volumes’ about his title credentials

Max Verstappen took his fourth consecutive Formula 1 world championship at a canter after he finished fifth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The Dutchman has now joined a highly exclusive club of just six drivers to have won four world championships in Formula 1.

Verstappen drove very impressively over the season as he minimised the damage done by an inferior Red Bull as McLaren and Ferrari improved.

The Dutchman has dominated over the past three seasons, and Giedo van der Garde feels that only Lewis Hamilton can stop Verstappen.

He started the season driving supremely well, taking seven wins in the opening 10 rounds of the world championship.

McLaren started to improve around the Miami Grand Prix in May when Lando Norris took his first Grand Prix win.

Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer explained that there is one race that Verstappen didn’t win, which outlined his title credentials.

The British Grand Prix is the race that spoke ‘volumes’ about Max Verstappen’s title chances

Verstappen had led the world championship comfortably throughout the opening stages, but the British Grand Prix was a struggle for the defending champion.

Silverstone is a unique circuit emphasising stability through high-speed direction changes and mechanical balance in the slower first sector.

Verstappen qualified fourth on the grid as his teammate Sergio Perez got eliminated in the first part of qualifying.

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Palmer wrote on the F1 website the race weekend was very impressive from Verstappen despite not qualifying on the front row or winning the race.

He said: “The British Grand Prix was a momentous weekend in the title race. Norris had won in Miami and the field was closing up, but Silverstone was the first conventional circuit where Verstappen and Red Bull were never in victory contention.

“For the first time all year, Max was racing in clearly inferior machinery. The fact that he finished second and actually extended his championship lead speaks volumes as to how rounded he is as a performer, particularly in tricky conditions.

“While McLaren floundered on a complex strategic day, Red Bull and Max were at their best and weren’t even a million miles away from snatching the most unlikely of victories.”

The Dutchman kept out of trouble amid mixed conditions on race day and salvaged a critical second place ahead of Norris in third.

Verstappen also had similar days like this over the year such as in Singapore when he maximised the result by finishing second behind a dominant Norris.

Max Verstappen minimised the damage perfectly after the British Grand Prix

Verstappen drove admirably to finish second at the British Grand Prix and extend his championship points lead over Norris.

He only took one victory in the second half of the season, which was his superb drive to win from 17th on the grid at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver sits 63 points in front of his nearest rival, Norris, after finishing in the top six at every race after the British Grand Prix.

Next season may be even more of a challenge, particularly if Hamilton has the rear of the car working at Ferrari as he moves from Mercedes.