Max Verstappen has described his journey to securing a fourth consecutive Formula 1 world championship as “very challenging” and expressed his determination to pursue further success in 2025.
The Red Bull star clinched the title after finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, amassing a points total that placed him beyond the reach of McLaren’s Lando Norris, his closest competitor.
Norris, who needed to outscore Verstappen by at least three points to keep the title race alive, ended the race in sixth place.
Meanwhile, George Russell claimed a dominant victory, leading a Mercedes one-two ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Reflecting on the season and his achievement, Verstappen said: “It was a very challenging season.
“Also as a person at times it was very challenging and I had to be calm.
“In a way I still prefer last season. I enjoyed it a lot, but I think this season, it has taught me a lot of lessons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four time world champion!!! A season with a lot of challenges, but we worked hard as a team. I am very proud of us 🏆 This would never have been possible without all the dedication and effort of everyone at @redbullracing 🙌 A huge thank you to all involved for this… pic.twitter.com/mnekjbdC3a— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) NOVEMBER 24, 2024
“I am very proud of us as a team and in a way that makes it a very special and beautiful season.”
Verstappen’s campaign began with a strong start, winning four of the first five races in 2024.
However, McLaren emerged as a formidable challenger starting from the sixth race in Miami.
From that point, Verstappen had to rely on consistent performances to maintain his championship lead.
As the season progressed, Norris steadily reduced the gap, with McLaren having a performance advantage over Red Bull in several races.
However, Verstappen’s exceptional drive from 17th on the grid to victory in Brazil three weeks ago gave him the crucial points needed to set up his title-winning opportunity in Las Vegas, which he seized at the first chance.
Verstappen added: “This year we had the car running well but we had a lot of tough races and that is something I am very proud of.
MAX VERSTAPPEN IS THE 2024 F1 WORLD CHAMPION! 🏆
A brilliant fourth title in-a-row! Incredible!!!#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/kiBpPmV86H
— Formula 1 (@F1) NOVEMBER 24, 2024
“The races when we were not the fastest car, we kept it together as a team, worked very hard, remained calm most of the times and barely made any mistakes.
“We really maximised and maybe overperformed in some places, plus our opposition in a few places definitely don’t grab the points they should have and all of those things matter when you are fighting for a championship.”
