New four-time world champion Max Verstappen "very proud" of 2024 as "I would say for 70 per cent of the season, we didn't have the fastest car"; Verstappen's latest triumph comes in year of tension between his father and team boss, departure of Adrian Newey and Red Bull's loss in pace
Sunday 24 November 2024 13:40, UK
Max Verstappen said it was "very difficult to disturb me with anything" as he reflected on what he believes was the most impressive of his four world title wins after a tumultuous season on and off the track at Red Bull.
Verstappen joined what his team boss Christian Horner said was "the elite of the sport" at Sunday's Las Vegas Grand Prix by becoming just the sixth driver in history to win at least four world championship titles after he finished ahead of title rival Lando Norris in fifth place.
Red Bull had come into the year on the back of achieving the most-dominant campaign in the sport's history in 2023 - which saw Verstappen win a record 19 races and the team all-but one of the 22 rounds - but quickly began the new campaign under intense scrutiny off the track following an investigation into Horner over allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by a female colleague.
The allegations against Horner, who always denied the claims, were dismissed in an internal investigation and then again following an appeal by the complaint against the original decision.
Despite having a contract at Red Bull until 2028, Verstappen's future at Red Bull beyond this season had appeared increasingly uncertain at the time amid friction between his father Jos and Horner, plus doubts over ally Helmut Marko's position as an advisor, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff going public in his interest in luring the world champion away.
"The beginning was a bit messy but I think I'm quite calm in those situations," said Verstappen after Sunday's race when asked how he kept winning against the backdrop of that early-season scrutiny on the team.
"I think it's very difficult to disturb me with anything. I'm very focused on the racing side of things.
"I know that when I sit in the car, I forget about everything, even positive, negative stuff.
"I just focus on what's ahead of me and that's performance, and drive the car as fast as I can."
Despite the off-track turbulence in the season's early weeks - a period which also saw the team's legendary designer Adrian Newey announce he was leaving the team - Verstappen's route to a fourth successive title had appeared set to be unaffected.
He won seven of the first 10 races and, despite McLaren in particular starting to come to prominence, held a commanding 84-point title lead at the season's halfway point after the British Grand Prix in July.
However, Verstappen has now only won one of the last 12 races - a virtuoso wet-weather victory at the Sao Paulo GP at the start of November which effectively ended Norris' title challenge - in a period which has seen Red Bull drop from first to third in the Constructors' Championship.
But despite his car's alarming drop in form, Verstappen's own Drivers' Championship lead had been reduced by Norris at a more gradual, irregular rate.
Given the car's struggles and the rise of several fast rivals, Horner suggested this was Verstappen's most impressive title win - an assessment which the new four-time world champion agreed.
"I think so, too. Last year I had a dominant car, but I always felt that not everyone appreciated what we achieved as a team, winning 10 in a row," said Verstappen.
"Of course our car was dominant, but it wasn't as dominant as people thought it was. That's for sure my best season [2023].
"Even in places where maybe we didn't have the perfect set-up, we were still capable, because in the race our car was always quite strong to win races.
"But I'm also very proud of this season because for 70 per cent of the season, we didn't have the fastest car but actually we still extended our lead. So that is definitely something that I'm very proud of."
Asked by Sky Sports F1 if he had ever doubted in recent months that the title might ultimately slip away from him, Verstappen replied: "I never really like to believe so but of course, at times, it looked very tough. I didn't want to give up at all.
"That's not how I am. At times it was not easy with the car, clear lack of pace in places, but we still always managed to get the best result out of it, or sometimes even more than what we deserved.
"You create your own luck. I think that's what we did most of the time."
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