Max Verstappen is a four-time Formula 1 champion.
Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive title late Saturday night in Las Vegas with a fifth-place finish. Verstappen simply needed to stay ahead of Lando Norris to secure the two-race lead.
Verstappen is the fifth driver after Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio to win at least four titles in a row. Hamilton won four consecutive championships from 2017-2020, making it the only two F1 champions in the last eight seasons. When you throw in Nico Rosberg’s title in 2016, only four drivers have won the 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 practices and even brought the wrong rear wing to the track. The vehicle was wearing a higher downforce mount instead of a smaller wing for the long straight of Las Vegas Boulevard.
It didn’t matter. Verstappen qualified fifth and fought his way to second place in the opening stage of the race. He crashed 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 for new tires and setting the fastest lap of the race.
Although Verstappen won the championship before the end of the season, the 2024 season was very different from 2023 and 2022. He has eight wins in 22 races to date, having won 19 of 22 races a season ago and 15 of 22 in 2022.
But he was still by far the best driver despite not having a car as dominant as the previous two seasons. While team-mate Sergio Perez continued to struggle, Verstappen got the best out of the car despite a 10-win streak that he snapped earlier in the month at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Russell’s win is his second of the season. This means that seven drivers – Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri – have won at least two races in 2024. This has never happened before in F1 history.
Russell started first and led every single lap as he quickly pulled away from the field. Hamilton put in a great drive from 10th to second but wore down his tires as he valiantly chased down Russell and lost time to his team-mate in the final three laps.
Hamilton would have a great chance of winning the race with a better third qualifying round. However, he did not drive a good lap in the final lap and had to start last among the 10 advanced drivers.
Results of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
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 Perez, Red Bull
11. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
12. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
13. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber
14. Franco Colapinto, Williams
15. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
16. Liam Lawson, RB
17. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
18. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber
Unclassified: Alex Albon (Williams), Pierre Gasly (Alpine)