Verstappen’s 2024 Triumph – More Than Just the Car

Few drivers in Formula One history have achieved the level of dominance that Max Verstappen now possesses. As he clinched his fourth consecutive World Championship, the Dutchman continued to cement his place among the all-time greats. Yet a common critique lingered over his success: is Verstappen’s dominance a product of Red Bull Racing’s engineering genius under the guidance of Adrian Newey?

While the RB18 and RB19 were revolutionary machines, the 2024 season offered a new narrative, challenging the stereotype that Verstappen’s dominance is solely reliant on having a dominant car.

Formula One is as much about the machinery as it is about the driver, with teams spending millions every season to perfect every aerodynamic surface and extract every millisecond of performance. Dominant drivers often benefit from superior cars, as seen with Michael Schumacher’s F2004, Lewis Hamilton’s W11 and Sebastian Vettel’s RB9.

Verstappen’s recent championship victories in the RB18 and RB19 continued this tradition, with the Dutchman winning a staggering 19 of 22 races in 2023, while also breaking records for consecutive wins (10) and points in a season (575).

This dominance, however, only boosted the argument that Verstappen’s success was down to Newey’s genius rather than the driver’s skill. The RB18 and RB19 were almost untouchable, and while Verstappen’s driving was undoubtedly excellent, the lack of competition left questions about how the Dutchman would perform under pressure.

The 2024 season answered those questions emphatically.

Unlike Red Bull’s 2023 dominance, the 2024 season presented Verstappen with a host of new obstacles. Although the RB20 remained one of the fastest and most reliable cars on the grid, it was far from the standout. Teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes had significantly closed the performance gap.

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri emerged as genuine challengers, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, all claimed race victories.

Despite a strong start to the season with seven wins in the first ten races, Verstappen endured an extraordinary mid-season drought, going ten races without a victory between the Spanish and Brazilian Grands Prix. During this run, Verstappen managed just four podium finishes, allowing Norris, Leclerc and co. to close the championship gap.

However, the Red Bull driver’s consistency proved crucial, as he finished in the top six of every race so far that season except the Australian Grand Prix, where a rear-braking issue forced an early retirement.

The 2024 calendar showcased Verstappen’s ability to adapt under less-than-ideal circumstances. Following the Dutchman’s dominant start to the season, a retirement in Australia and floor damage in Miami allowed Sainz and Norris to claim victories. However, a tyre-management masterclass in Imola saw Verstappen hold off Norris by 0.7 seconds in a nail-biting finish.

Perhaps a season-defining moment came in Canada, when a wet-dry race saw Verstappen produce a wet-weather masterclass to capitalise on Norris’ safety car woes. Performances like these underscored Verstappen’s ability to deliver under a variety of circumstances, silencing critics who questioned his versatility.

However, Verstappen’s success was often tainted by his aggressive, ‘my way or the highway’ driving style. This was on show once more in 2024. Verstappen’s slow stop in Austria allowed Norris to forge a late surge before Verstappen’s aggressive cornering caused a crash, ruining the Briton’s race. The Red Bull driver recovered to claim fifth despite a ten-second penalty.

Two races later in Hungary, Verstappen not only pushed Norris off the track at the start but also collided with Hamilton late on. Again, he salvaged fifth place, results that perhaps a less durable car or less talented driver would have been unable to achieve.

Verstappen yet again capitalised on every opportunity presented to him at Spa, surging from 11th to fourth and beating Norris thanks to a clever undercut. However, Norris’ wins at Zandvoort and Marina Bay closed the championship gap to 52 points heading into the United States Grand Prix.

Controversy erupted as Norris’ late five-second penalty for an off-track overtake on Verstappen, coupled with Verstappen’s Sprint race win, extended the Dutchman’s lead.

The title was effectively sealed in Interlagos as Verstappen produced an all-time classic. Starting 17th after a grid penalty and chaotic qualifying session, Verstappen’s crucial stop just before a red flag saw him claim an unthinkable race victory. This meant that a fifth-place finish in Las Vegas was enough to seal World Championship number four.

Despite Verstappen’s triumph, teammate Sergio Perez’s struggles offered an alarming contrast. Although the RB20 had not been the fastest car that season, Perez’s 2024 campaign was his weakest since joining Red Bull. Sitting eighth in the Drivers’ Championship with two races to go, his inability to consistently challenge for podiums or support Verstappen in the Constructors’ Championship led to questions about Red Bull’s decision to retain him.

With the team sitting third in the Constructors’ Championship, Perez’s struggles only highlighted Verstappen’s brilliance. The same car that Perez had failed to master had become an extension of Verstappen’s excellence, indicating that his championship win had not simply been a result of superior machinery.

By winning four consecutive titles, Verstappen joined an elite group. Only Hamilton, Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio remained ahead, while this season’s win saw him draw level with Vettel and Alain Prost.

Yet this title felt more significant. It was not the dramatic last-lap showdown of 2021, nor was it the total dominance of 2023. It was a hard-fought, challenging season that showcased Verstappen at his absolute best.

As Formula One looked ahead to 2025, Verstappen’s dominance raised questions for his challengers. Could McLaren continue their 2024 form? Would Mercedes find the consistency they had so dearly lacked in recent years? Could Hamilton take Ferrari back to the summit?

For Verstappen, the challenge would be maintaining his edge in an increasingly competitive environment. As others continued to close the gap, the battle for the 2025 crown looked set to be one for the ages.

Yet if 2024 had taught us anything, it was that Verstappen’s brilliance went beyond machinery. He was not simply a driver benefiting from a great car. He was a generational driver who continued to rewrite Formula One history.