Max Verstappen is a four-time Formula 1 champion. Max Verstappen is a four-time Formula 1 champion.
Verstappen won his fourth consecutive title on Saturday night in Las Vegas with a fifth-place finish. Verstappen simply needed to stay ahead of Lando Norris to clinch the championship with two races remaining.
Verstappen is the fifth driver to win at least four consecutive titles, joining Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio. Hamilton won four consecutive championships between 2017 and 2020, meaning there have only been two F1 champions in the last eight seasons. If you add Nico Rosberg’s title in 2016, only four drivers have won a world championship since Jenson Button was champion in 2009.
The weekend did not start well for Verstappen. Red Bull was left searching for pace during the first two practice sessions and even brought the wrong rear wing to the track. The car had a higher downforce attachment instead of a smaller wing for the long straight down Las Vegas Boulevard.
That didn’t matter. Verstappen qualified fifth and moved up to second place in the first stage of the race. He dropped back in the second half but was well ahead of Norris, who finished sixth and was nearly 10 seconds back before making a free pit stop with two laps to go to change tires and run the fastest lap of the race. .
Although Verstappen clinched the championship before the end of the season, the 2024 season was considerably different to 2023 and 2022. He has eight wins in 22 races so far after winning 19 of 22 races a season ago and winning 15 of 22 in 2022. .
But he was still by far the best driver despite not having a car as dominant as he was the previous two seasons. With teammate Sergio Perez constantly struggling, Verstappen got the best out of the car despite a 10-race winless streak that was broken earlier this month at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Russell’s victory is his second of the season. That means seven drivers (Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri) have won at least two races in 2024. That has never happened before in F1 history.
Russell started first and led every lap as he quickly pulled away from the field. Hamilton made a brilliant trip from tenth to second place, but wore out his tires as he valiantly tried to chase down Russell and lose time to his team-mate in the final three laps.
Hamilton would have had a great chance to win the race with a better third round of qualifying. But he didn’t get a good lap in the last round and had to start last among the 10 drivers who advanced.
Las Vegas Grand Prix Results
1. George Russell, Mercedes
2.Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
6. Lando Norris, McLaren
7. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
8. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
9. Yuki Tsunoda, RB
10. Sergio Pérez, Red Bull
11. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
12. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
13. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber
14. Franco Colapinto, Williams
15. Lance Ride, Aston Martin
16. Liam Lawson, RB
17. Esteban Ocón, Alpino
18. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber
Not classified: Alex Albon (Williams), Pierre Gasly (Alpine)