Max Verstappen’s dominant performance on Sunday has all but secured his fourth consecutive drivers’ championship, a feat now seen as nearly inevitable.
The German outlet Auto Motor und Sport called his title defense “just a formality” after his stunning win from 17th on the grid in Brazil, battling through wet conditions.
“Give him the cup now,” added Spanish newspaper AS, capturing the general sentiment. Although Verstappen had been losing ground to McLaren’s Lando Norris, his lead is now back to a comfortable 61 points with just three races remaining, setting up a potential title clinch in Las Vegas.
When asked about the significance of the win, Verstappen said,
“It was incredibly important because I was expecting to lose points today.” Although he’s not specifically aiming to secure the title in Vegas, he admitted this win would stand out if he does.
The day was not without drama. Frustrated by delays and a grid penalty following a qualifying incident, Verstappen noted,
“My emotions today have been from almost trying to destroy the garage to winning the race.” Both Verstappen and his team questioned the handling of the red flag, hinting at a possible “pro-British bias.”
Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, praised his son’s resilience, saying, “He really showed who is the very, very best, especially after everything those English journalists and commentators have said.”
Red Bull’s suspicion of British favoritism toward Norris has put strain on the rivalry. Norris called Verstappen’s win “luck,” attributing it to a red flag that allowed for a tire change. With Norris now needing an improbable 21 points per race to catch up, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella admitted, “Max gave a strong signal today.”
Despite his prior criticism of Red Bull’s 2024 car, Jos Verstappen acknowledged Brazil as a “very positive” step. “It looks good,” he said, with three races left to wrap up the season.
