Max Verstappen told he shares one ‘outstanding’ trait with Lewis Hamilton after fourth F1 title

Max Verstappen put his name among the greats in Formula 1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as he became the sixth driver to win four world championships.

The Dutchman has been dominant in the pinnacle of motorsport since claiming his maiden title in dramatic fashion over Lewis Hamilton in 2021. Verstappen’s superiority in F1 cannot be shown any better than his 2023 season, where he won a staggering 19 out of 22 races.

But as Red Bull brought an evolution of their RB19 – which won all but one race last season – with them into 2024, Verstappen found it much more difficult to secure the title this year as the team suffered a huge drop in performance.

After winning seven of the opening 10 races, the 27-year-old did not win a Grand Prix for another 10 races as he struggled to keep up with the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, who made a huge stride forward in their development.

While Lando Norris mounted considerable pressure on the Red Bull driver, Verstappen’s eighth win of the season in Sao Paulo ultimately shattered any hopes of the Brit beating his rival as he drove a sensational race to win from P17.

Peter Windsor lauds Max Verstappen’s ability to stay out of trouble in the early stages like Lewis Hamilton

Verstappen sealed the deal at the Las Vegas Grand Prix by beating Norris with fifth to the McLaren driver’s sixth. While he did not have the pace to match the dominant Mercedes, the Dutchman did what was required and brought his RB20 home to win his fourth title.

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The Red Bull has not been the fastest car on the F1 grid for much of the season, but Verstappen’s consistency has made him hard to beat as he continuously maximises the most out of his package and grabs the points he needs to stay ahead.

Speaking on the Cameron Cc YouTube channel, Peter Windsor lauded Verstappen’s ‘outstanding’ ability that he shares with Hamilton, in that he can keep himself out of trouble in the early stages and secure the results his car is capable.

“I’ve been really impressed with his ability, since Miami I guess, to bring the car home in whatever position is rightful for that car,” he said.

“Maybe fourth, maybe fifth, maybe third and he’s done that time and again. Like Lewis, his ability to stay out of trouble in the chaotic first corners when he hasn’t qualified on the front row, is outstanding. It’s absolutely outstanding, as is Lewis’ ability to do that.”

Red Bull look set to lose the 2024 Constructors’ Championship

While Red Bull secured their fourth drivers’ title in a row through Verstappen, the team look set to miss out on the constructors’ title as they sit third between McLaren and Ferrari.

The Milton Keynes-based squad are 53 points behind McLaren with two races to go, while Ferrari are 24 points behind in second having taken a chunk out of the Woking-based outfit’s advantage at Las Vegas with third and fourth.

A key factor as to why Red Bull have struggled to match their rivals in the constructors’ championship is Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, who has desperately unperformed and failed to find consistent results.

The Mexican is under pressure to keep his seat next season as he is enduring his worst season with the team since he joined in 2021. Perez has not finished on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix as he has only finished higher than 10th once in the last six races.

Perez could be replaced at Red Bull by 2025 as potential clauses in his contract – which runs until at least 2026 – could allow the team to let him go by Abu Dhabi. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are possible options for Red Bull to call upon.