Max Verstappen has now said exactly the same thing as Lewis Hamilton after winning his fourth F1 championship

Max Verstappen sealed his fourth Formula 1 world championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last weekend. Fifth place was good enough for Verstappen to secure the crown with two races to go.

He becomes the sixth driver to win four or more titles and the first Lewis Hamilton in 2017. He still requires three more to match Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, currently tied on seven.

But Verstappen has now equalled Alain Prost and Red Bull predecessor Sebastian Vettel. He’s enjoying one of the most dominant spells in F1 history.

McLaren driver Lando Norris needed to outscore Verstappen by at least three points to take the fight to this weekend’s Qatar GP. But with McLaren struggling in the cold Las Vegas temperatures, Norris could only manage sixth.

That allowed Verstappen to cruise home and extend his advantage to an unassailable 63 points. His title defence had become somewhat uncomfortable amid a 10-race drought between Spain and Brazil.

Norris started that spell 69 points behind Verstappen but never got closer than 44. The Dutchman’s almost robotic consistency stood in stark contrast to McLaren’s highs and lows.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both expressed immediate determination for fifth title

It’s been seven years since Hamilton secured his fourth title at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Like Verstappen, he did so without finishing on the podium.

Hamilton sustained a puncture in a first-lap collision with title rival Vettel, forcing both drivers to pit. While he could only recover to ninth, fifth wasn’t enough for Vettel to delay his coronation.

Speaking after the race, incidentally won by Verstappen, Hamilton said (via RaceFans): “Four is a great number. I want number five now.

“I think there’s more in me. I think there’s more to come, more of a challenge, as there’s harder times ahead and I like that. I love that, that’s challenging.”

Likewise, in the world champion’s press conference at the Las Vegas GP, Verstappen immediately turned his attention to next year. It’s clear that both drivers share the same elite mentality – never satisfied even after establishing themselves as all-time greats.

“I’m hungry,” Verstappen said. “Of course, I’m going to enjoy this, but there are still two more races that I want to do well at the same time. And then, of course, we take a little break, and then we try and go at it again next year.”

When Max Verstappen could break Lewis Hamilton’s F1 win record

It’s difficult to predict the future in any sport with certainty, particularly F1. While Verstappen will compete for the title if he has the tools next year, there will be major regulation changes in 2026 that could shake up the running order.

Extrapolating his current win rate over the coming years is, therefore, an unreliable measure. He’s 43 victories adrift of Hamilton’s all-time record, and just 29 behind Schumacher.

The F1 calendar currently runs for 24 races and is likely to stay that length. That allows Liberty Media to maximise revenue without overstretching the teams to an unacceptable degree.

Hypothetically, Verstappen can win eight races per year – exactly a third – then he will overtake Hamilton in 5.375 seasons. In other words, that’s the first half of the 2029 campaign, by which point he’ll only be 31.

There’s a possibility that he changes teams in pursuit of that record. Verstappen could be tempted to leave Red Bull if their new powertrains division doesn’t deliver in 2026.