Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive world championship this season despite struggling for much of the year.
The Dutchman won seven of the opening 10 rounds but suffered over the summer as McLaren became the benchmark at most races.
Verstappen minimised the damage, such as at the Singapore Grand Prix, where the Red Bull driver finished in second place behind a dominant Norris.
It would have been very risky to push to the absolute limit trying to catch the race leader, but the Red Bull driver remained measured and took second place. As Verstappen swore in a press conference, there were also dramas off the track.
The championship was eventually won at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and Verstappen now has 63 victories. He is now third on the all-time list behind Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
Despite having won so many races, Verstappen revealed he only kept one trophy from his Formula 1 career, which is significant.
The trophy from this year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix is the only one Max Verstappen’s kept in F1
Verstappen struggled for much of the season and started the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil from 17th on the grid. He was caught out by a red flag in qualifying, which stopped the Dutchman from battling from pole position.
The track was wet at the start, and Norris had an opportunity to close the gap in the championship. Verstappen stormed through the field to win the race while his rival made multiple errors.
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Verstappen explained that his winning trophy from this year’s race in Brazil is the only one that hasn’t been returned to the Red Bull team.
He told Formel1.de: I’m not selling them, the ones that I, of course, always win on the track, actually all go to the team. I only have one, and that was from this year in Brazil, it was a very special trophy.”
Verstappen won the Grand Prix and was significantly quicker than the rest of the field. The Red Bull driver took his eighth win of the year.
This performance put the championship almost out of reach for Norris, who failed to make the most of Verstappen’s lowly starting position.
Next season may be even more difficult for Max Verstappen
Verstappen is heading into 2025 looking to win his fifth world championship and become just the fourth driver in history to win five titles.
The Dutchman has had an edge in wheel-to-wheel combat over his career, but Oscar Piastri has shown he has the ruthlessness to match Verstappen. This could allow Piastri to fight his rival effectively, who is difficult to pass.
Red Bull were slower than McLaren in the final few rounds, and the British team have consistently improved over the season.
Verstappen and Red Bull stuttered, and with the rules staying very similar for next season, this trend could continue in 2025.
