Max Verstappen was officially crowned Formula 1 champion for a fourth time after the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
His dominant start to the season set him on course for the title and he closed things out with a fifth-place finish in Nevada despite coming under some serious pressure during the latter half of the season from Lando Norris.
Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races of the year, taking pole position for all of the opening seven grands prix. Carlos Sainz, Norris and Charles Leclerc each picked up a win apiece, but it seemed inevitable that Verstappen would cruise to the championship.
Things changed after the Spanish Grand Prix, however. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton won the next two races before Oscar Piastri’s maiden victory in Hungary, with Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari suddenly finding pace to compete with Red Bull. Problems began to mount for Verstappen, who watched Norris pick up another two race wins to close the gap in the standings to within striking distance.
However, the reigning champion produced a masterclass in the wet at Interlagos to take the chequered flag and put himself on the brink of a fourth consecutive crown. That was then secured under the lights in Vegas, with just two races left in 2024.
The Sporting News will keep you updated this season with the standings for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships.