Max Verstappen has won the World Championship title for the fourth time after finishing fifth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen’s title was almost certain in Las Vegas on the condition that he finished ahead of close rival Lando Norris, who finished sixth on Sunday.
Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished first and second, respectively, while Carlos Sainz completed the podium, one position ahead of his teammate, Charles Leclerc.
With Sunday’s victory, Verstappen has now joined the rank of drivers with at least four world championship titles, a select league that now has just six drivers, including Juan-Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost, and Sebastian Vettel, with Fangio (5) Hamilton (7) and Schumacher (8), being the only men with more titles than him.
Verstappen was well aware that all he needed to do to be a fourth-time champion was to finish ahead of Norris, regardless of the position, and this marked his approach on the track. It wasn’t the usual driving for gold fans had come to expect from Verstappen. Instead, he fired his car fast enough to stay ahead of the McLaren driver. However, at a point, he moved up to second place, ahead of the two Ferraris, after a pit stop before being overtaken again.
At the front of the pack was Russell, who had the lead for most of the race, fighting off Ferrari drivers initially, before fending off Hamilton, whose exploit on the track earned him an extra point for Driver of the Day. Hamilton moved up from 10th place, eventually challenging Verstappen and the two Ferraris, and looked well on course to win but had to settle for second place behind a more dominant Russell.
It’s been quite the season for Verstappen, who had an incredible start but dipped towards the middle. Speaking after the race, Verstappen described the season as “challenging” while adding that he was grateful for what he learned this year: “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 has taught me a lot of lessons.”
The 27-year-old also said that he was hungry for more wins in the coming seasons.
Norris took time out to congratulate Verstappen on his victory while stating that he was ready to challenge for the title next season, adding that all they needed at McLaren was a better car, and he could end the season with the title.
But all is not yet over for McLaren as they are still in the lead to win the constructors title this season. They currently lead with 24 points, and the next two races could see them earn more points to win the title.
