2024 F1 Season Overview: Max Verstappen Shocks Even Himself After Challenging Year

Alex Harrington | 22 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) of Team Netherlands smiles to the crowd during a fan forum before the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In 2024, Max Verstappen etched his name in the history books further by claiming his fourth consecutive Formula One World Championship, joining the ranks of Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel who both boast four-time world champions. Despite facing heightened challenges throughout the season compared to 2023, the Dutch driver demonstrated exceptional skill to come out on top.

Season Overview

• Championship Position: 1st
• Total Points: 437
• Wins: 9
• Podium Finishes: 14
• Pole Positions: 8
• Fastest Laps: 3
• Laps Led: 560

Qualifying Performance

• Average Qualifying Position: 2.92
• Q3 Appearances: 23 / 24
• Best Qualifying Position: 1st (9 times)
• Worst Qualifying Position: 12th (Brazil)

Race Performance

• Average Finishing Position: 2.96
• Points Finishes: 23 out of 24 races
• DNFs: 1 (Australia - Brakes)
• Best Race Finish: 1st (9 times)
• Worst Race Finish: 6th (4 times)

Team Comparison

• Points Contribution to Team's Total: 74.2%
• Constructor's Championship Position: 3rd (Red Bull)

Strong Achievements

• Secured fourth consecutive World Championship
• Joined the elite group of four-time World Champions
• Won 9 out of 24 races, including a remarkable victory from 12th on the grid in Brazil (started 17th after a penalty)

Season Progression

Max Verstappen's 2024 Formula 1 season was a tale of two halves, with the driver showing early dominance but encountering mid-season challenges. He kicked off the year in spectacular fashion, clinching victories in four of the first five races, including wins in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Japan. This strong start allowed him to build a substantial points lead.

However, after winning the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Verstappen faced an unexpected 11-race winless streak, stretching from Spain to Mexico. During this period, he encountered fierce competition, particularly from McLaren's duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Despite the lack of wins, Verstappen's consistency shone through as he never finished outside the top six, consistently accumulating points.

His work paid off at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he secured a remarkable victory from 17th on the grid in wet conditions, effectively clinching his fourth consecutive World Drivers' Championship with two races to spare in Las Vegas.

Personal Life

Verstappen confirmed that he and his parter Kelly Piquet are expecting a child. The couple shared the news on Instagram on December 6 with a photo of themselves and a caption that read, "Mini Verstappen-Piquet on the way".

Looking Forward to 2025

“It’s something that as a kid growing up, you don’t think about these things,” he said via Formula 1. “You look at the names and think ‘wow, that’s really impressive’ and hope one day you can be on the podium.

“Sometimes you get lucky in life, you are in the right place at the right time. Of course, as a driver you need to take advantage of that and luckily I’ve been able to do that at the same time.

“It’s amazing – four titles is definitely incredible. Of course, I also hope it doesn’t stop here and I hope that we can be successful for a longer period of time. You already could see this year the competition is very close.

“But then again in ’26, a lot is going to change and maybe some other teams are going to be competitive again. For the moment I think it’s very important to just enjoy the moment, be proud of what we’ve achieved as a team, and we’ll try again next year.”