101 replies to this topic

[Topsu]

Congratulations Max! From the early season dominance to a brilliant streak of damage limitation, the title was basically secured in the epic Brazil showcase, to be finished under Vegas lights.

 

Schumacher

Hamilton

Fangio

Prost

Vettel

Verstappen

Edited by Topsu, Today, 07:42.

[jacdaniel]

Has to go down as one of the best championship wins in history!

[cyclist]

A champions drive, got the most out of a difficult car and made few errors. Well deserved, as he was truly the best driver this season.

[AlexPrime]

An incredible championship, he was like a mix between Schumacher and Prost. GOAT level performance. Brazil and Canada were masterclasses in driving.

[MJB5990]

You can say Lando wasn't ready, you can say Max is still sometimes over the limit and both might be true but this was an incredible season by Max. He's the best out there at the minute and absolutely deserves this championship.

[kumo7]

Max's race in Brazil was awesome to say the least. Max grabbed it with his both hands. 

[Little Leaf]

Best driver won, fully deserved!

[Disgrace]

An incredible championship, he was like a mix between Schumacher and Prost. GOAT level performance. Brazil and Canada were masterclasses in driving.

 

Imola deserved to be mentioned amongst his top drives of the year too. He had no business winning that race.

[f1rules]

well deserved   No doubt driver of his generation and clearly the best driver in the field

[PitViperRacing]

Great season. Not as dominant as last year, but clearly better imo

[jonklug]

Incredibly proud and happy, what a season! Congrats Max, that was stellar!

[jonklug]

Imola deserved to be mentioned amongst his top drives of the year too. He had no business winning that race.

You are correct. I almost forgot about that one, somehow if feels it happened years ago. It's been a loooooong season since.

[FirstnameLastname]

Been rooting for him all season. Top work

Nice of him to feature Norris number on his celebration T-Shirts

[Red5ive]

4th and last hopefully.

[Ruudbackus]

Great early start of the season and since Miami not in the fastest car anymore. Still managed to squeeze out more points and did perfect damage limitation. His drive is Mexico was poop. His brilliance really showed in Brazil knocking it out of the park there. Well deserved 4th title! Winning the title in the 3rd fastest car is not often done. He camouflaged redbull real performance with his execution each and every weekend.

[Spillage]

Best driver on the grid and it's not close. Fantastic all season, again. Amazing that the championship lead is bigger now than it was after Miami, and they certainly haven't had the best car in that period.

[SophieB]

An astounding talent, unsurprised he won this year despite not always having the quickest car, significant mistakes from his rivals notwithstanding.

[jonklug]

If you thought his 4th WDC was impressive, you'll be blown away next year when he wins his 5th. Would not bet against him even if the car isn't outright fastest.

[OvDrone]

Best driver of the season, no question and best one of the past three years. There are some chinks in the armor, so looking forward to see if anybody can exploit that and push him to the limit like 2021 again.

I just want to see him race for a different team as I can't stand RBR, I think that would suit his legacy very well. 

[aray]

Well deserved.

[Marklar]

Where do we rate this among his own titles I wonder?

2021 was impressive because he had a marginally slower car and more misfortune against a competent competition that was really pushing him.

2022 was impressive because he had equal competition in the first half and was still crushing it (albeit really helped by how horrific Ferrari was operationally)

2023 was easy, but he was relentless in collecting his wins. Oftentimes drivers with such a huge car advantage drop the ball somewhere because you lose focus.

2024 he had clearly the slower car, but the team with the quickest made too many unforced errors, but he obviously forced some errors on them by being there despite often having the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th quickest car (Baku aside where he performed poorly). It's no coincidence that he gained points since Miami when he really should have been gapped big time.

Just wish he would clean up the way he races his championship competitors when things get serious. It obviously helps him since it goes his way usually, but it obviously sours a pretty perfect picture (pending how he does the rest of his career, especially big changes like a team move, he is certainly looking like the best driver as far as you can reasonably compare eras)

Edited by Marklar, Today, 08:13.

[DJH63]

21, 24, 22, 23.

[LiJu914]

Congratulions, well deserved.

 

What i find asthonishing, that since Miami (17 GP´s in total) Verstappen was still able to outscore Norris by 11 points, including all the races, in wich he had his grid penalties (Norris had none iiirc).

Even since the summer break, when imho relative car performances shifted even more, he "just" lost 14 points to Norris.  

[SophieB]

@NobleF1

#F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on Verstappen’s fourth title.

 

“I want to congratulate Max on an incredible season and his fourth world title. He is a true great of this sport and has so much more to look forward to in his impressive career. This season has been thrilling and 2025 looks set to be even closer. Congratulations Max and congratulations to all the team at Red Bull.”

[SophieB]

Via @FiftyBucksVT 

 

[P123]

Well done to Max.  One of the greats.  Excellent season.

[Ruudbackus]

Where do we rate this among his own titles I wonder?

2021 was impressive because he had a marginally slower car and more misfortune against a competent competition that was really pushing him.

2022 was impressive because he had equal competition in the first half and was still crushing it (albeit really helped by how horrific Ferrari was operationally)

2023 was easy, but he was relentless in collecting his wins. Oftentimes drivers with such a huge car advantage drop the ball somewhere because you lose focus.

2024 he had clearly the slower car, but the team with the quickest made too many unforced errors, but he obviously forced some errors on them by being there despite often having the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th quickest car (Baku aside where he performed poorly). It's no coincidence that he gained points since Miami when he really should have been gapped big time.

Just wish he would clean up the way he races his championship competitors when things get serious. It obviously helps him since it goes his way usually, but it obviously sours a pretty perfect picture (pending how he does the rest of his career, especially big changes like a team move, he is certainly looking like the best driver as far as you can reasonably compare eras)

 

It's hard to order them. His 23 season was statiscally the most impressive. His 21 the most close fought and his 24 season he overachieved his car the most. But what has been consistent in the 22-23-24 seasons is that he maximizes the results and is pretty much without errors. 21 is a close season but that wasn't a close drive from either competitor topped off by the crazy stewarding that season. It is his first and most close faught but it ahs to many asterixes to the season for me to call it his best.

 

I wopuld order them 24-23-21-22

[TomNokoe]

When the car is fast enough for P1, he finishes P1. Fast enough for P2, P2. For P3, P3. And so on. Every single weekend.

And then sometimes he takes it even further and finishes one or two positions higher than anyone else would.

Most drivers trade consistency for ultimate speed, but not Max. Congratulations.

[Ben1980]

Championship was always a given, winning 7 of the first 10 pretty much sewed it up. And he did enough to keep it ticking along.

Currently the best driver/ car package put there, and a fully deserved title.

I really hope all teams are ready from the start next season though. Would like to see a real battle.

[Ragamuffin]

Congrats to Max. The almost perfect driving machine. Annoyingly, frustratingly, prodigiously, wonderfully talented. He is like the Netherlands overdosed on Rocky IV and said, let's make us a racing driver.

[Disgrace]

Championship was always a given, winning 7 of the first 10 pretty much sewed it up. And he did enough to keep it ticking along.

Currently the best driver/ car package put there, and a fully deserved title.

I really hope all teams are ready from the start next season though. Would like to see a real battle.

 

I don't agree with this. Max could so easily have DNF'd out of Austria and Hungary. He was lucky both times. McLaren and Norris fumbled away multiple wins, as we all witnessed. It should have been a much closer fight.

[FirstnameLastname]

Predictably consistent.

A damning combination.

[BertoC]

Congratulation! In my view this was his best of the 4.

[Ben1980]

I don't agree with this. Max could so easily have DNF'd out of Austria and Hungary. He was lucky both times. McLaren and Norris fumbled away multiple wins, as we all witnessed. It should have been a much closer fight.

I think McLaren had some could of, rather than should of. But, not sure there was ever going to be enough to get the gap down, especially with a resurgent Ferrari, and a Mercedes looking great in very specific circumstances.

Even when Mclaren had the big wins, Max is sitting comfy in second minimising everything.

[AlcidioG]

Championship was always a given, winning 7 of the first 10 pretty much sewed it up. And he did enough to keep it ticking along.

Currently the best driver/ car package put there, and a fully deserved title.

I really hope all teams are ready from the start next season though. Would like to see a real battle.

 

But the last 3 wins in those first 10 he just really showed why he's the champion. Not sure anybody else in the field right now would have won those in the car as it was then

[renzmann]

I rate '24 higher than '21, albeit Verstappen disagrees with me as I'm writing this. This year lacked the epic Lewis vs. Max narrative, but this year was dominant in terms of driving capabilities. He drove a very problematic car (over the full season, probably 3rd fastest car, maybe a shared 2nd), yet he managed to keep the delta to Norris stable and won with two races to go. '21 was a worthy battle, '24 Verstappen made the competition look like second class drivers.

 

A WDC despite a bronze WCC will go down as a truly special season in the history books.

[PrinceBira]

CONGRATS MV4!

Thrilling season. Shame of his racing antics in Mexico. Throws a shade, but it seems our memories are mostly about the last races…

‘21 was a much more impressive win imo. This year felt like Rossi vs Gibernau. You know, that feeling that one of the two drivers is much better and the worse driver needs a large performance advantage.

In ‘21 the cars were much closer (Mercedes a tiny bit faster overall). But more importantly he was fighting a LH that was still A level.

[jonklug]

I do want to say that Lando has put up a very nice fight. McLaren hadn't been in this position for over 10 years and it was the first time Lando was in a WDC fight. He kept it on the track and made the season quite stressful for Max, winning a few of the races in pure dominant style. He can build on this for the future.

[brucewayne]

Lando was never a rival. He really had no chance against Max in the faster car. Max is different.

[flingsofdeon]

Hmm, he’s no Kyle Larson.

Lewis is incredible, but Max is the best driver on the grid by quite some distance now

[H0R]

Hmm, he’s no Kyle Larson.

And definitely no Adrian Fernandez! 

[Ben1980]

But the last 3 wins in those first 10 he just really showed why he's the champion. Not sure anybody else in the field right now would have won those in the car as it was then

Emilia Romagna, he had pole and won, and was quite comfortable in the race, until the end. Though I think that was almost the last "easy" win. Though should have won in Austria easily, without the messed up pit stop. But that was the pattern of Mclaren getting better at the end of races.

Canada was mixed, but the car was capable of winning in the conditions. ( maybe not without the safety car, but he wins Miami without a safety car)

I dont recall Barcelona though. He was 2nd so, not uncompetitive but did what he needed to at the start.

I think, what helped was as RB started to struggle, Ferrari were also struggling, and Nerc were erratic. Meaning that Max could always hang in and use his experience and skill's.

[SophieB]

Congratulatory pinch of the cheek from Alonso to Max, via twitter

 

 

Alonso the avuncular elder statesman of the grid!

[hayabusasc]

Next season if the cars are this close, it's shaping up to be a really fantastic season.

Max deserved the title this season but I suspect will have to work even harder to win next season.

[PayasYouRace]

I don’t think I can improve on what I said in the race thread.
 

Aside from a few dickhead moments, Max has been incredible this year. Won every race the car was capable of, and a couple that it might not have been. Built that key point advantage early on and protected it well when nobody was consistently quicker over the season. A mostly* worthy champion in what has been one of the best seasons in living memeory.

 

*aforementioned dickhead moves takes a shine of this championship for me.

Still his best championship. I’d rank 2022 second because that was fair and competitive for a lot of it. 2023 Red Bull was so dominant anyone could have won that title.

 

I’d rather not rate 2021 anywhere in there. While at the time I desperately needed a new champion because Lewis title run had become tedious, now I’d have preferred if things had been handled properly and Lewis had won that. Not that I’m the sort of child to say Lewis won 2021. Max won it. But it’ll just not get ranked anywhere.

[Ben1980]

I do want to say that Lando has put up a very nice fight. McLaren hadn't been in this position for over 10 years and it was the first time Lando was in a WDC fight. He kept it on the track and made the season quite stressful for Max, winning a few of the races in pure dominant style. He can build on this for the future.

Mclaren didn't quite have the know how against RB and Max. And I'm not sure they ever saw it as a fight until quite late.

But, you have to learn, and I'd expect them better next year, if they can be competitive.

[Ben1980]

Next season if the cars are this close, it's shaping up to be a really fantastic season.

Max deserved the title this season but I suspect will have to work even harder to win next season.

I hope the teams all come prepared. No head starts.

[kosmos]

Congrats, totally deserved

[Mark1865]

Well deserved champion. Was helped quite a bit by the dynamics of Red Bull being dominant early on, building up a big lead then a mix of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes being fastest depending on the track after that with Red Bull always in the mix.

However he usually maximised his weekends and was the most consistent driver week in week out.

[renzmann]

Congratulatory pinch of the cheek from Alonso to Max, via twitter

 

 

Alonso the avuncular elder statesman of the grid!

I always find it adorable if adults still have the same smile they had as kids. Probably tells you a lot about authenticity!