Max Verstappen: Red Bull driver’s spectacular and turbulent 2024 season analysed with F1 title in sight | F1 News
After essentially the most turbulent 12 months of Max Verstappen’s profession, he produced one of many drives of his life to silence all of the noise – for now at the least.
Most significantly, his victory from seventeenth on the grid in treacherous moist circumstances on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix all however ended Lando Norris’ title problem.
However there was extra to this one, the 62nd win of the Dutchman’s Formulation 1 profession.
It got here after two weeks of intense – and crucial – scrutiny of Verstappen’s conduct throughout wheel-to-wheel battles with Norris in Austin and Mexico Metropolis.
It got here after a as soon as seemingly unthinkable 10-race winless streak as Red Bull someway went from two years of complete domination to being persistently overwhelmed by McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
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Highlights from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which noticed Verstappen win after having began in seventeenth
It got here in direction of the top of a season throughout which Verstappen has needed to deal with controversies at Red Bull that had nothing to do with him, but created main hypothesis over how lengthy he’ll keep with the group that he’s on the verge of profitable a fourth successive drivers’ title with.
It got here on the very second when Norris lastly seemed to be in place to interrupt the again of a six-month quest to chase down Verstappen, and some have been maybe simply beginning to doubt the Dutchman.
Drive for the ages crowns defiant run
The Briton’s possibilities appeared the strongest they’d been at any level all season when he took pole place at Interlagos after Verstappen had been knocked out of a wild rain-hit qualifying.
With the hole on the prime of the standings right down to 44 factors after Norris’ Dash win on Saturday, it appeared a sensible prospect that Verstappen’s benefit might by the top of the weekend be decreased to one thing in the area of 30 factors with three rounds remaining.
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Verstappen accomplished a surprising opening lap on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, making 5 overtakes and then a late dart in entrance of Lewis Hamilton originally of the second lap
That may have been a dream situation for Norris followers, and even for neutrals, hoping to see the battle go right down to the wire. Perhaps even some Verstappen followers have been open to the prospect of the drama following the processions of the earlier two campaigns.
As an alternative, Verstappen surged into the highest 10 after little greater than a lap with a exceptional present of poise, whereas Norris misplaced his lead off the road. The script had flipped, and from that second on there was a way of inevitability that Norris wouldn’t make the type of acquire that had appeared attainable earlier than the lights went out.
Verstappen went additional than that although, as extra sensible driving, alongside with just a little fortune in the form of a well-timed purple flag, noticed him fully flip the tables on his rival.
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Red Bull’s Verstappen was delighted to return by way of the sphere to triumph on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
When the rain received an excessive amount of for George Russell and Norris and they pitted from the top of the sphere, Verstappen survived on worn tyres to stay in place to benefit from the security vehicles and purple flag that adopted, and then pounced at a second rolling restart to nail a move on Esteban Ocon at Flip 1.
Within the house of simply over two hours, what was creating into an all-time title battle had been ended in about essentially the most emphatic method attainable, with Verstappen taking the chequered flag nearly 20 seconds away from the sphere, and Norris coming house in fifth.
Whereas the Sao Paulo show will certainly go down as essentially the most memorable, it’s not Verstappen’s solely nice drive of the season. He out-duelled Norris once they have been, at greatest, evenly matched for tempo to say what turned out to be essential victories in Canada and Spain – the 2 occasions earlier than his 10-race winless run started.
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Karun Chandhok debates whether or not Verstappen is one of the best wet-weather driver of all time after his unbelievable efficiency on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
The following run was difficult for Verstappen as Red Bull struggled to match the tempo of their rivals. Verstappen would produce some stonking qualifying laps and gritty Sunday drives to restrict the harm, incomes 4 podiums and by no means ending exterior the highest six throughout his barren run.
To place the RB20’s lack of efficiency in higher context, Verstappen’s struggling team-mate Sergio Perez has completed in the highest six simply as soon as in the final 15 races.
His consistency and resilience in the face of adversity, albeit with some fruity expressions of frustration over group radio, ensured Norris was by no means in a position to construct an enormous quantity of momentum in the chase. It meant that coming into the closing rounds, Verstappen actually simply wanted one magic day to get the job performed.
Will Norris clashes taint title?
Ferrari group principal Frederic Vasseur mentioned at first of this season that Red Bull’s obvious perfection of 2023 would probably come to an finish in the event that they have been positioned beneath extra strain by rivals.
Whereas a few of the strain was self-inflicted, the prediction has proved extra correct than possibly even Vasseur might have imagined, as Red Bull’s efficiency dropped away amid an exodus of key employees, none extra notable than legendary designer Adrian Newey.
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Norris and Verstappen engaged in an exhilarating battle for the race lead earlier than the pair crashed into each other, as George Russell ended up capitalising to win the Austrian Grand Prix
Nevertheless, there’s one factor at Red Bull that has not wilted, and that’s Verstappen – fairly the alternative in reality.
The one criticism that may be levelled on the 27-year-old for his 2024 marketing campaign is that, whereas he has not made driving errors beneath strain, he has reverted to utilizing a few of the similar ways that broken his repute throughout his 2021 title battle with Lewis Hamilton.
There was the collision with Norris in Austria and then contentious battles to achieve the apex first in Austin and Mexico Metropolis, earlier than Verstappen was rightly penalised – and then criticised – for a momentary head-loss as he put a totally reckless transfer on the McLaren – additionally in Mexico.
His refusal in the aftermath to apologise, or at the least settle for he had gone too far, was disappointing however not massively shocking.
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Verstappen and Norris conflict as soon as once more this season as Verstappen forces Norris off the monitor a number of occasions
Sporting superstars, particularly in motor racing, would are typically cussed and uncompromising people, and Verstappen’s actions weren’t dissimilar to these of some beloved F1 champions who’ve gone earlier than him.
Verstappen’s ways are usually not for everyone however he isn’t the primary and won’t be the final F1 nice to make use of them
It’s also price noting that in the 2 aggressive title battles he has been concerned in (2021 and 2024), Verstappen has held a championship lead and subsequently been in place to be the aggressor. It will be fascinating to see his strategy in a title race the place main contact with a rival can be extra expensive for him than them.
An genuine and uncompromising champion
Separate to his driving is the way in which Verstappen chooses to deal with such incidents in the media.
His determination to play the sufferer and decide a combat with a few of his critics on this event was not endearing, however, then once more, the likes of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna didn’t must put up with the fixed nature of the fashionable media panorama.
Each Verstappen interview and session radio message, not to mention his driving manoeuvres, are instantly analysed by hundreds of passionate social media customers, earlier than being additional mentioned by the plenty of media protecting the game each on the circuits and from everywhere in the world.
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Forward of the Sao Paulo GP Verstappen defended his wheel-to-wheel racing driving type
Verstappen poked enjoyable on the lack of “British press” in the post-race press convention for the highest three in Brazil, which maybe factors to a sure degree of delusion in considering that solely journalists from the nation of his greatest rivals thought his Mexico strikes have been unsuitable.
Regardless, with the quantity of criticism he has needed to contend with since 2021, it’s fully comprehensible that there could be a chip on his shoulder.
Considerably mockingly, moments just like the one in Sunday’s press convention are what endear most British journalists – or at the least this one – to Verstappen.
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Verstappen struggled to include his frustration with his group as he ended up ending sixth in Italy
At a time when the vast majority of sporting stars have been exhaustively media educated and will hardly ever deviate from the script, the Dutchman’s honesty and willingness to say what he thinks is massively refreshing.
As soon as extra, agree with him or not, Verstappen’s ongoing swearing row with the FIA, in which he’s preventing exhausting for his proper to specific himself, is one other instance of each his authenticity and uncompromising nature.
As Sky Sports activities F1’s Martin Brundle has lengthy maintained, if there was a driver from the present crop you could possibly select to go to the pub with, it will nearly undoubtedly be the world champion.
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Verstappen was a part of an astonishing press convention following qualifying in Singapore as he refused to reply questions comprehensively after a swearing penalty
Verstappen’s place of energy
A query that has repeatedly been requested during the last couple of years is whether or not Verstappen has turn out to be too highly effective at Red Bull.
That got here up as soon as extra after the Mexico Metropolis incident, with some suggesting it was the duty of Red Bull group principal Christian Horner to let Verstappen know such strikes are usually not acceptable.
Whereas, in equity to Horner, he didn’t argue towards the penalty Verstappen acquired for the incident, his total stance was to be extremely defensive of his driver. That is what you’d count on in public from any group principal, however there’s a sense Red Bull wouldn’t dare query Verstappen’s driving in personal both.
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Christian Horner asks the query ‘when is a dive bomb okay?’ after Verstappen acquired two penalties whereas racing Norris in the course of the Mexico Metropolis GP
And fairly frankly, who can blame them? With there having been indicators Hamilton could also be on the decline, there isn’t any driver anyplace near Verstappen’s league proper now.
That’s the reason Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is determined to signal him, and Horner can be silly to do something that gave Verstappen any motive to really feel as if he doesn’t have Red Bull’s complete and utter backing.
The aggressive driving, the fruity language, a demanding administration group – are all a part of the Max Verstappen bundle – however his brilliance places these elements the place his rivals usually sit – in the rear mirror.
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Toto Wolff mentioned any talks with Verstappen have been on pause as he’s glad with the 2025 line-up of Russell and Kimi Antonelli
When later this month Verstappen turns into the game’s sixth driver to achieve 4 titles, both in Las Vegas or if not then nearly actually in Qatar every week later, it should function affirmation of his standing as the game’s clear prime canine at this second.
For some, there could also be a couple of footnotes at that second, and come the top of his profession nevertheless many extra titles later, however for higher or worse, Max Verstappen won’t care.
Formulation 1 returns after a three-week break with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22-24, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1. Get Sky Sports F1 to watch every race and more live