Our writers on Verstappen’s standout moments in 2024, his place amongst the F1 greats – and if he can get even better

Max Verstappen has again added his name to the F1 history books by becoming a four-time world champion, the Dutchman having taken the crown by finishing ahead of rival Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But where does this now put him amongst the greats – and can he get even better from here? To answer those questions and more, we asked some of our writers to give their take on Verstappen’s title-winning 2024 season…
Will Buxton (F1 Digital Presenter): For me, Max’s greatest moments this season have come in the races where he hasn’t had the best car, or even the second best. It was in the period between Spain and Brazil, the more than four months where he went without a win, that Max pulled out some of the best drives not just of this season, but of his career. In the 10 races in-between Grand Prix victories, only twice did he leave a Grand Prix weekend with fewer than a double-digit points score, no matter which team or teams appeared to have the advantage over Red Bull. He dug deep and put in some astonishing drives.
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Lawrence Barretto (F1 Correspondent & Presenter): There have been plenty, from that stunning win in Brazil to the commanding victory in the opening race in Bahrain. The decision to take the hard tyre in the final stint at Silverstone helped him leapfrog Lando Norris and extend his championship lead on a weekend where he had struggled for form. And after a grid penalty put him 11th at Spa, he fought back to pass Norris to finish fourth. It was those damage limitation performances that showed how good Verstappen can be in the face of adversity.
Chris Medland (Special Contributor): There are many, but his ability to pick up wins under pressure and limit the damage on other occasions was very impressive. I feel like they went under the radar a little bit at the time due to his earlier dominance, but his win in Imola and same in Barcelona came with Norris hunting him down in a quicker car late on, and so too his Montreal victory was excellent. But it was also a few second-place finishes – such as in Zandvoort and Singapore – where he was no match for Norris but was still able to excel in a tricky car to ensure he didn’t lose significant points.
Alex Jacques (F1 TV Commentator): Brazil was pure racing talent in the way he roared through the field, and how he responded to a newly competitive field with strong drives in Canada and Spain felt key. Strangely the moment which set the tone for me was Silverstone. This was a race where Red Bull were miles off the pace in a way that Verstappen hadn’t faced consistently in years. The way he worked with the team to stay in contention would become the defining feature of his fourth championship. He had no right to get that car within two seconds of victory. His ability to thrive given that challenge was so important in minimising the damage in his 10 Grands Prix winless run.
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Jolyon Palmer (Special Contributor): The obvious standout is Brazil. Charging through the field from 17th and making the rest of the field look ordinary was exceptional, particularly with title pressures in play. The opening of the Spanish Grand Prix was also superbly clinical from Max, passing Norris and then Russell which set him up for a win he probably shouldn’t have taken. Finally Silverstone was a brilliant showcase of why he’s so difficult to beat over a season. Even when the car isn’t competitive, both team and driver managed to execute the absolute very best from the situation and finish second, extending Max’s title advantage.
WB: I don’t think you’ll have many disagreements here. Brazil was the drive of a champion and a drive worthy of a championship. On a day when many of his rivals struggled to even see through the spray, Verstappen didn’t put a foot wrong. He was spellbinding from start to finish, without question his best drive of the year, and one of the best of his career. And that’s saying something.
LB: Without a doubt, it was the drive to victory from 17th on the grid in the most treacherous conditions in Brazil. This wasn’t just his best drive of the year, but in my opinion, it was the best of all his 62 Grand Prix wins. This was Verstappen at his very best, with the bit between his teeth. His car control was exquisite. He saw an opportunity in the most tricky of conditions to stop the rot and win a Grand Prix for the first time in 10 events – and he took it.
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CM: It really is hard to look past Interlagos here. That was a stunning performance under pressure, and he was in a class of his own. Sure, the red flag helped him gain further positions, but the progress he had made up to that point suggested he still might win even without that help, and from 17th on the grid that was remarkable. It was a brilliant drive.
AJ: Canada was impressive to win a three-way fight, having spent 2023 unopposed, but it’s hard to look beyond the drive in Brazil. On a day where most others found it near impossible to overtake, Verstappen’s win from 17th on the grid was hall of fame stuff. It was a defining drive for his entire career, let alone 2024.
JP: Brazil, no doubt. Just superb charging through the field as already mentioned. These are the days where Max demonstrates why he is a champion and the current class of the field.
WB: Unquestionably. Post Miami it became increasingly clear that McLaren had a car for all tracks and all conditions. The irony is that while this appeared obvious to the entire paddock, McLaren themselves were seemingly the last to figure it out, tripping over themselves at almost every turn. Without numerous baffling blunders from the team, and some that Norris has to take on the chin and accept were all of his own making, they’d have taken the lead in the constructors’ far earlier, and Lando might well have brought the gap down to single digits, even passed Verstappen. Max having to stick his elbows out in the penultimate triple header in both Austin and Mexico was a very real compliment to Norris and McLaren and showed just how worried he was about the threat they posed.
LB: Not really. Even as Norris chipped away at Verstappen’s lead, it always felt like this was still Verstappen’s title to lose. So strong was his start to the season – he won seven of the first 10 races – he had a buffer that gave him breathing space even when it became clear Red Bull didn’t have the best car anymore.
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CM: Just before the lights went out on Sunday in Brazil! The weekend had looked pretty solid until qualifying, but with the conditions, Norris on pole and so much potential for something to go wrong, it was a crucial moment. You felt the weather would suit Verstappen, but things like the red flag timing can also go against you – as it did in qualifying – so it was not unrealistic to envisage him losing a big chunk of points too. And if that had happened, there was every chance the title could go right to the wire.
AJ: Alarm bells were ringing after qualifying in Monza but they were let off the hook by others. Post qualifying in Sao Paulo was the first time I believe a form of panic set in. All of the answers to the media were intense from Red Bull. For all the impressive driving and mental fortitude we witnessed this year, we have to remember they’re all still human. The idea of this decorated driver staring at the biggest points collapse in F1 history seemed possible for the first time, but we all know how the day ended.
JP: In the Americas triple header you sensed that things were getting nervy and Max’s driving showed that he was feeling the pressure as well at times. With McLaren showing consistent strong pace, it didn’t look like a breezy home run for Max, especially with Piastri’s team orders in play in the Brazil Sprint. It seemed the title was one race away from hanging in the balance, until the Sao Paulo Grand Prix decided it for good.
WB: He’s undoubtedly in the list of the all-time greats, top 10 for me without question. He shares the same hallmarks as fellow four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, and even with the likes of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. At the root of it all lies an incredible natural talent, meshed with a dogged work ethic, winning mindset, sharp focus and relentless appetite, not to mention his single-minded ruthlessness once the helmet is pulled on. He skirts with the limits of the law just as they did, and knows the rulebook inside out. He frustrates his rivals and enthralls his fans, even if he sometimes oversteps the line.
LB: For me, the way Verstappen fought back from a mid-season slump, hauled results out of a car that at times was only the third or fourth best on the grid, to secure this year’s championship – all while under persistent threats from McLaren, Ferrari and at times Mercedes – makes this title super special and the most impressive of the four. That moves him to the third greatest of all-time in my eyes behind only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. At 27, he’s got plenty of time to overtake those two legends if he keeps up this form.
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CM: He’s very much in the GOAT conversation, although I never think you can definitively order them given the way the demands of the cars change what a driver needs to be good at. But in my mind he would be the first driver you would pick if you could choose any of the current grid to be on your team right now. To win in what has not been the fastest car on average over the entire season, too – he’s set to become the third driver in history to win the title driving for a team that isn’t in the top two in the constructors’ championship – helps elevate him beyond where he was before this year.
AJ: Verstappen will always be in the conversation now. It’s obviously impossible to compare his abilities to Fangio, but they’re always going to be mentioned in the same sentence when talking about all-time greats and I think that is a true measure of what he’s achieved across his F1 career.
JP: I think it’s hard to argue he’s not in the absolute top tier right now with the likes of Hamilton, Senna and Schumacher. The level he is performing at is relentlessly formidable. In 2024 the field has never been more competitive, yet he’s managed to instil the fear factor into his rivals.
WB: For me, 2024 ranks as Verstappen’s finest hour and best-won world championship. He didn’t just see off a singular rival, he weathered the internal storms at his team which had existed from before the season even began, endured racing a car which had slumped from being unbeatable to nigh on undriveable and all at a time when three rival teams found the pace to win and Verstappen had to contend with being the sole consistent points-scorer for his team. To carry that burden alone, to put in the race drives he has, and to emerge as world champion, is the stuff of legend. And, worryingly for his rivals, he gets better almost every weekend.
LB: There were glimpses of chinks in the Verstappen armour this year, the most vivid of which came at the Mexican Grand Prix when battling Norris. After robustly defending from the McLaren driver but ultimately losing the position and picking up a 10-second penalty, Verstappen let the red mist descend a few corners later and dived down the inside. He didn’t come close to making the corner and forced Norris off-track, antics that triggered another time penalty. It was a rare lapse in an otherwise fine season. If he irons those chinks out, he’s well on his way to becoming one of the most complete drivers F1 has ever seen.
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CM: Nobody’s perfect and all of the greats had their flaws, and Verstappen can definitely improve. He lost his cool in Budapest this year, so can still become that little bit more controlled when things aren’t going well. Similarly, he is usually so good at racing right on the edge of the regulations without breaking them, but had a few occasions – particularly in Mexico City – where he went that bit too far. But it could be argued those indiscretions still had a positive impact on his title hopes given the way they held Norris up in that race, and that’s a ruthlessness that works for him even if it might not always lead to praise.
AJ: He’s taken a different exam this season to turn sixth place into second in order to blunt his rivals’ title momentum and that is a rare skill, completely different from converting poles into wins, so that was another improvement displayed. With the rules on wheel-to-wheel combat expected to change from 2024 to 2025, it will be interesting to see if his uncompromising approach in this department has to be altered.
JP: In terms of ability he’s got everything and he’s consistent with it, there just aren’t any weaknesses. The only thing I’d personally like to see is him racing slightly fairer in the heat of a championship battle. You could argue that this is an asset of his, to be ruthless as well and push the limits, but he certainly does that more than other title contenders in recent memory.
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