Max Verstappen become world champion for a fourth consecutive time after finishing fifth behind George Russell in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Dutchman’s title was the hardest earned of his career and puts his name, aged 27, as neon-bright as the Strip’s attractions, where he was due to be conveyed in a Rolls Royce Phantom to celebrate in front of the Bellagio, fountains sparkling.
Rightly so for he stands in a pantheon of motor-racing immortals.
Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, on seven titles each, Juan Manuel Fangio, on five, stand ahead of him. But time is on his side, and he is almost certain to move clear of Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel, like him on four.
A tearful Verstappen was ecstatic over the radio. ‘Oh my God,’ he whimpered. ‘What a season. Four times. Thanks to everyone. More difficult than last year. I thought it was impossible. But thanks to you guys… Thanks again.’
On the night, Verstappen finished ‘only’ fifth behind a Mercedes one-two and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, but it was enough to take the honours with Lando Norris, his only theoretical challenger, back in sixth.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has won his fourth consecutive World Driver’s Championship
Verstappen stands atop his Red Bull machine after clinching his fourth world title
The Red Bull of Max Verstappen passes by the Planet Hollywood Casino on the Las Vegas Strip
It means he clinches the championship without requiring the two remaining rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
As for Russell’s composed performance, it was worthy of his third career win. His Mercedes was inexplicably fast, but he used the advantage to devastating effect.
More of Russell later, but first a retelling of Verstappen’s race, which was an emblem of his superman powers.
He may be cast as a pantomime villain in Britain for his controversial beating of Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021, but there is no doubting his ability to get more out of his Red Bull than any other driver would be capable of doing. That was highlighted by Sergio Perez finishing 10th.
Remarkably, Verstappen has achieved his feat while Red Bull lie third in the constructors’ championships. It is rare indeed a driver triumphs when his team do not win the constructors’ championship.
In recent times only Hamilton, in 2008, and Verstappen himself, in 2021, have managed to pull off the minor miracle of man rising above machine.
And that is not all of it. Red Bull have been riven by division this year. They have been mired in controversy – the Christian Horner scandal.
With the departure of design guru Adrian Newey, they have unravelled over the past few months from a reliable winning phenomenon into a patchy gaggle that has lost predominance.
The race itself was won by Mercedes’ George Russell – his third grand prix victory in his career
Russell was imperious from the start, surviving his sole wheel-to-wheel clash in just the fourth lap
Lewis Hamilton, too, impressed as he flew round the track to finish second after qualifying 10th
Lando Norris meanwhile finished in sixth and never looked close to challenging Verstappen on the day
Since Verstappen won in China on April 21, he has not possessed the fastest car. McLaren took over in Miami on May 5. Yet Verstappen still reeled off crucial wins to which his car gave him no right.
He held off a charge from Norris – one that with a steelier performer than the very fast Briton would have prevailed, Max or no Max.
As for the race itself, Russell was supreme from pole. He was very briskly away, and survived the one wheel-to-wheel threat at the end of lap four, holding off Leclerc. A lesson to Norris in defiance.
Hamilton did very well from 10th on the grid – a poor qualifying from him – to finish second, as he passed three cars on the track and the Ferraris in the pits.
Poor victorious Russell. A bad day to win a race.