Max Verstappen has put himself into the conversation of the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, let alone the 21st century with his fourth consecutive championship.
The Dutchman hung on after a turbulent period during the middle part of the season, where his rivals outdeveloped his Red Bull team and threatened a title charge.
But the lead he had built up proved to be too big for McLaren and Lando Norris, with Verstappen claiming the crown with two races to spare.
The work isn’t over yet, with a very outside shot at the constructors’ championship, which relies on teammate Sergio Perez finally showing up.
Jolyon Palmer claims Max Verstappen was feeling ‘pressure’ during Americas triple-header
When Verstappen feels pressure, it’s fairly obvious to those watching on as he starts to become a bit more desperate and erratic.
Some believed that part of his racecraft had faded recently, but he proved them wrong during an explosive battle with Norris at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the United States Grand Prix.
Ex-Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer wrote in a column for the F1 website, that the champion was starting to feel the pressure during those battles with his British rival.
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“In the Americas triple header, you sensed that things were getting nervy and Max’s driving showed that he was feeling the pressure as well at times.
“With McLaren showing consistent strong pace, it didn’t look like a breezy home run for Max, especially with Piastri’s team orders in play in the Brazil Sprint.
“It seemed the title was one race away from hanging in the balance until the Sao Paulo Grand Prix decided it for good.”
Will the pressure ramp up on Verstappen in 2025?
Red Bull’s advantage has dwindled to the extent that it’s now comfortable to assume they no longer have the fastest car on the grid.
Arguably, both Ferrari and McLaren have better overall packages, but that could all change again in time for next season.
There’s also the opportunity for a renewed rivalry between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who moves to a resurgent Ferrari outfit for what many presume will be the final few years of his career.
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If Verstappen fails to burst out of the blocks as he has done during the first half of the season over the last few years, he could be in for a dogfight to defend his crown.
Only one man has ever achieved five consecutive championships, and there’s a reason why Michael Schumacher remains the only driver to have done it to this day – it’s very difficult.
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