Max Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive world championship in Las Vegas last weekend. He brushed off the challenge from Lando Norris, despite the McLaren largely being faster than Red Bull for most of the season.
The Dutchman finished fifth in the Nevada desert one place above his title rival. Although it was enough to clinch the championship, it showed how much Red Bull was off the pace. This has made the four-time world champion think this was his greatest season ever.
Max Verstappen says he would have won the title in a McLaren or Ferrari
Max Verstappen has only won one race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June. After the previous year of domination, it shows how all their rivals have caught up to the Milton Keynes-based team. To have won the championship with a fast car but not one that has dominated has made Verstappen think it was his greatest championship yet.
The 27-year-old said: “Last year I had a dominant car, but I always felt that not everyone appreciated what we achieved as a team. I’m proud of this year because for the majority of the season, I would say for about 70%, we didn’t have the fastest car, but we actually still extended our lead. So that’s definitely something I’m very proud of.”
Max Verstappen reflects on his season so far:
“Last year we were very dominant, but I’m very proud of this season. I think 70 percent of this year we didn’t have the best car.”
[@ErikvHaren]#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/0QjamomPO2
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 24, 2024
Asked if he would have won the championship in a rival car, the Dutchman continued: “Yes, [with McLaren I would have won] even earlier, so [I would have been] further ahead. With Ferrari more or less the same. With Mercedes, no.”
Max Verstappen has not had the fastest car since the Miami Grand Prix. What he was able to do was consistently outperform to finish in strong positions where the car shouldn’t have been. This is seen by the massive gap between himself and his teammate Sergio Perez, which is over 200 points.
Max Verstappen’s biggest threat in 2025
Next year could be a competitive season if this season is anything to go by. Red Bull, with Max Verstappen, will be looking to win the championship once more. The likelihood of a championship battle with a teammate is very slim, depending on who is in the second car. He has the measure of Sergio Perez, and a new driver in the second Red Bull seat won’t want to upset the team’s hierarchy.
Ferrari has added Lewis Hamilton to boost their chances of winning the championship. If Ferrari can add a bit more consistency between different types of tracks, they could be challenging the top spot with one, if not, both drivers.
“He drove an incredible season… a better season” 👏
Lando Norris congratulates Max Verstappen on his world championship 🤝 pic.twitter.com/4Sfmubkpg5
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 24, 2024
McLaren would have learnt a lot from this season. Lando Norris has admitted he and the team were not ready for a shot for the championship. However, they have built a great foundation and a fast car so next year could be their time. Next season could be very special.
