F1: Max Verstappen Wins 4th Consecutive World Title in Las Vegas

Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen has clinched his 4th drivers’ title after a scintillating performance at the Las Vegas GP.

Dutch Formula One (F1) ace Max Verstappen has won his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) title at this week’s Las Vegas GP. The Red Bull Racing (RBR) number one driver finished fifth in said grand prix, piping down title rival Lando Norris of McLaren with a scintillating drive in a 50-lap thriller under the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip.

Prior to the race, Verstappen led the drivers’ championship by 62 points over his Briton title rival, meaning that he needed to at least finish ahead of Norris to bring home his fourth-ever world title. Qualified fifth ahead of Norris at sixth, Verstappen has managed to keep his cool throughout the Saturday night race, with Mercedes’ George Russell converting his Friday pole into a win ahead of teammate seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Compared to his last year’s triumph, Verstappen’s fight for the 2024 title isn’t as smooth as he wanted it to be, as his trusty RB20 race car suffered against the flying McLarens during the midpoint of the season, despite winning seven out of the first 10 grand prix earlier in the season. Putting his raw talent and experience as then three-time world champion on the line, the Dutch ace managed to pip down his rival, despite the latter driving an arguably faster car.

While the whole RBR paddock is still celebrating Verstappen’s triumph in Las Vegas this week, things aren’t exactly on the positive side for the team in their World Constructors’ Championship (WCC) battle, as the Milton Keynes-based outfit is still third in the battle with two races to go. Besides having the second-to-third fastest car on the grid, factors like the poor performance of their second driver, Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez, this season have also contributed to their third positioning in said title battle.

Thanks to his recently-crowned fourth title, Verstappen now joins a very exclusive company that includes fellow four-time champions like Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel, with only three drivers in the sport’s entire history to have won more titles than himself, namely Juan Manuel Fangio with five, and both Michael Schumacher and Sir Lewis Hamilton with seven titles each.

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