Max Verstappen won his fourth world championship despite not having the quickest car for much of the season.
The four-time world champion won seven of the first 10 races, but Verstappen didn’t win an event after that until the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in November.
Verstappen and Red Bull struggled to make the podium at some races, such as at the Italian Grand Prix, where the Dutchman finished sixth.
The team suffered as McLaren moved into the lead of the Constructors’ Championship, even though Jolyon Palmer feels Red Bull’s issues are exaggerated.
Verstappen won the title in Las Vegas with two rounds to go despite having a pace disadvantage compared to McLaren and Lando Norris for much of the year.
Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok feels there is one common misconception about the Red Bull driver’s year that shouldn’t be happening.
People shouldn’t be saying Max Verstappen ‘outperformed’ the car
Verstappen performed admirably at a lot of races, such as in Brazil to win from 17th on the grid and a couple of dominant wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The Dutchman reached the limit of the Red Bull’s potential as he minimised the damage over the season, keeping the title within reach.
READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer tells Lando Norris how to beat Max Verstappen next year after being ‘bullied’ in 2024
Chandhok explained on the Sky Sports F1 podcast that he dislikes it when people say that the four-time world champion outperformed the car.
He said: “You can’t say that [Verstappen outperformed the car]. There is no such concept as outperforming the car. He maximised the full potential of the car.
“The other driver failed to maximise the potential of the car. You can’t physically outperform the car. People say this in podcasts all the time. It drives me nuts. It is not possible.”
The Red Bull driver was remarkably consistent and kept on the track, while his title rival Norris made a series of mistakes for McLaren.
Next season may be very difficult for Max Verstappen if he doesn’t start well
Verstappen was somewhat fortunate to have such a dominant car in the opening few rounds this year, enabling him to build a sizeable championship lead.
He also drove brilliantly at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to defend from a hard-charging Norrs at Imola to take the win.
If Verstappen and Red Bull don’t have an advantage in the opening rounds next year, it may be difficult to win the championship as McLaren became sharper as the 2024 season went on. Norris and Oscar Piastri may be difficult to beat if this form continues.
Ferrari and Mercedes may be slightly more unpredictable as they have new drivers in their line-ups, particularly the German team, which welcomes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
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