By finishing in fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen did better than his rival Lando Norris, and won the title of Formula 1 world champion, even before the last two races.
All he had to do was finish ahead of Lando Norris. Mission accomplished: by finishing in fifth place in the Las Vegas Grand Prix this Sunday, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) did better than his British rival (sixth), and won the title of Formula 1 world champion, even before the last two grand prix. This is the fourth consecutive crown for “Mad Max”, who had to work harder this year than the previous two to win. By winning seven of the first ten races on the calendar, the Dutchman from Red Bull thought he had taken shelter.
But he then began a drought which coincided with the return to form of McLaren and in particular of Lando Norris. Ten grands prix later, Verstappen felt the Briton's breath on the back of his neck, with a gap of less than 50 points. Finally, the three-time reigning world champion put an almost definitive end to the suspense during the penultimate race, in Brazil. Starting from 17th place on the grid, he won a breathtaking grand prix to regain his ease in the standings. All he had to do was finish the job in Las Vegas.
By winning a fourth title, Max Verstappen joins legends Alain Prost and Sébastien Vettel on the list of winners. Ahead of him, there remains only Juan Manuel Fangio (5 titles), then Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (7 titles).
