It certainly lacked the controversial drama of 2021 – and whether he deserved it at all back then is for another debate.
In 2022, there was an inevitability that he’d retain the title. And in 2023 it was sheer dominance – 19 largely uncontested wins in 22 races, which was mightily impressive.
However, this, his fourth world championship title, is without doubt Max Verstappen’s most impressive yet. Not necessarily because of his brilliance on track – although the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where he went from 17th on the grid to first was one of the greatest performances in the wet we have seen.
Instead, it is his best championship because he has still managed to come out on top despite the political turbulence and pressure that has surrounded him all season.
Not since 2008 and Lewis Hamilton’s maiden title has there been such turmoil behind the scenes. Hamilton’s victory came in the wake of Spygate and the incredible $100million fine for his McLaren team after a member of staff was caught in possession of Ferrari intellectual property.
Hamilton, of course, beat Felipe Massa in a dramatic finale as McLaren triumphed over Ferrari to reflect a season-long backdrop of rivalry between the two teams, not to mention getting one over on the FIA who had administered the penalty.
Not since Hamilton’s success in 2008 has a champion had to contend with so many distractions
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
This season, Verstappen has been caught in the middle of a conflict that has threatened to rip his Red Bull team apart since before the Bahrain GP.
One can only imagine his thoughts at seeing his team boss Christian Horner become embroiled in such controversy that surrounded the investigation into his behaviour towards a female colleague. The immediate fallout inevitably disrupted the harmony within his team, which had of course dominated the previous season.
At the Bahrain GP, I’d asked Verstappen if he fully supported Horner during the internal investigation. It was an uncomfortable situation and he gave an equivocal answer. But it was the last thing he wanted to concentrate on at the season-opener.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the level of scrutiny into Verstappen’s future made life incredibly difficult as he was thrust into endless questions about whether he would be joining Mercedes
Despite all the background noise, Verstappen somehow kept his cool and his focus and won the Bahrain GP. Not only that, he…
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