- Max Verstappen won the World Drivers’ Championship for the fourth consecutive year
- But his Red Bull team is currently third in the 2024 constructors’ standings.
- Employee bonuses apparently based on Constructors’ Championship
It has been a weekend of celebration for Red Bull after Max Verstappen sealed the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship for the fourth year in a row.
However, his individual glory will apparently not result in triggering bonus payments for Red Bull team members.
Verstappen finished fifth in Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, earning 10 points.
That was enough to build an unassailable lead over McLaran’s Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings.
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez also finished in the points in Las Vegas, placing tenth.
But these points were not enough to improve Red Bull’s position in the 2024 constructors’ standings.
Max Verstappen (top center) pictured celebrating with his Red Bull team on Saturday night.
Verstappen finished fifth in the Las Vegas GP, while his teammate Sergio Pérez (right) came tenth.
Saturday’s result sealed the World Drivers’ Championship title for the fourth year in a row and was congratulated by Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko (right).
With only two races left, Red Bull has 555 points but is behind Ferrari (584) and McLaren (608).
Speaking after Saturday’s race, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko told DAZN: “We have to have two drivers who finish in the points.”
‘Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio (in the drivers’ standings).
“For now the main thing was to win the (drivers’) championship for Max, but for our employees it is a disappointment because they will not receive their bonuses, since they depend on our position in the constructors’ championship.”
Red Bull won the Constructors’ Championship in 2022 and 2023.
Those victories followed eight years of Mercedes dominance.
If McLaren maintains first place this year, it will be its first victory in the Constructors’ Championship since 1998.