Once more, there was controversy as Hamilton surged into the lead from the start on mediums, leaving Verstappen to lunge back on his softs to steal the lead but forcing Hamilton off track in the process. Hamilton kept the lead and looked set for the title up until Nicholas Latifi crashed just a handful of laps prior to the chequered flag. Red Bull pitted Verstappen from P2 but would the race restart in time?
The safety car was unprecedentedly withdrawn after race director Michael Masi removed the lapped cars between the Red Bull and Mercedes to set up a one-lap shoot-out for the win and championship. On fresh tyres, there was only one winner as the Dutch driver dived down the inside to pass Hamilton, going on to cross the line as the first ever Dutch F1 world champion, potential finally realised.
Back-to-back
A cloud of uncertainty hovered over the F1 paddock ahead of the 2022 season, with new technical regulations handing new challenges to teams and their drivers. But despite a start plagued with mechanical failures, once Verstappen discovered his groove, he became almost unbeatable.
The Dutchman found an early title rival in Charles Leclerc, who won two of the first three races of the season – securing a 46-point advantage in the drivers’ standings. Wheel-to-wheel duels in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia gave fans a taste of what could have been, but poor reliability and head-scratching strategy calls soon put Ferrari out of the title hunt.
But make no mistake, Verstappen’s latest world title wasn’t handed to him on a silver platter. On numerous occasions, he was forced to fight through the field, with his most impressive charge taking place at the Belgian Grand Prix – starting in P14, taking the lead of the race on lap 12, and going on to win by 17 second margin.
Another commanding drive around a rain-soaked Suzuka meant Verstappen was able to wrap up his second consecutive world title five races early, in a season surrounded by the sound of broken records. But, little did anybody know, this was still scarcely far from the Dutchman’s peak.
The dominance continues…
In 2023, Verstappen reached a level of performance arguably never before seen in grand prix racing: winning 19 races across the year — ten of which came consecutively — as well as every sprint to secure a third consecutive world title with five rounds to spare.
He set single-season records for the most points scored (575), total number of laps led (1003), the greatest championship-winning advantage (as he ended the season 290 points clear of team-mate Sergio Perez) and he also scored 70% of Red Bull’s constructors’ points for the year.
Of course, despite his immense accomplishments, many found a way of dragging Verstappen down: arguing that his dominance was more due to the performance of his car rather than his own ability. But just 12 months later, that argument failed to hold up.
After winning seven of the first ten races of the season in 2024, Red Bull suddenly struggled for performance and its once unbeatable pace was quickly matched or surpassed by McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes — all of whom housed drivers with race-winning potential. As a result, ahead of each race weekend, it was almost impossible to determine which constructor would have the upper hand. But in the end, despite the increased competitiveness, it was Verstappen’s supreme ability that won out.
Entering the final four races of the season, the Dutchman held a narrow 47-point lead over Lando Norris, who looked set to close the gap further: starting on pole in Sao Paulo while Verstappen started from 17th. But in treacherous conditions, no one else really stood a chance.
Flying through the running order and benefiting from a well-timed red flag, Verstappen put on a dazzling performance to claim his eighth victory of the season while Norris finished a disappointing sixth — 62 points now separating them.
Another well-measured drive at the very next round in Las Vegas saw Verstappen clinch his fourth consecutive world title — a feat only four other drivers in F1 history have achieved.
