Max Verstappen wins Formula One world title for a fourth straight year
Red Bull racer Max Verstappen has secured the Formula One championship for the fourth consecutive year.
His win was solidified when he finished in fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where George Russell from Mercedes took first place.
The 27-year-old Dutch driver has now joined an exclusive group of just six competitors in Formula One history to secure four or more championship titles. He achieved this by outpacing Lando Norris, who finished the race in sixth place.
Verstappen has secured the world championship with two races left in the season, solidifying his status as one of the legends of Formula One.
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed an overwhelmed Verstappen after winning the world championship. "What an incredible season. This is my fourth time. It was definitely a bit tougher than the previous year."
Lewis Hamilton climbed from 10th to secure second place, achieving a remarkable one-two finish for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz took third for Ferrari, finishing ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc.
Russell's third win was the most impressive of his career to date, finishing 7.3 seconds ahead of Hamilton.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton both hold the record for the most world championships, each securing seven titles. Argentine racing legend Juan-Manuel Fangio follows with five titles, while Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, and currently Max Verstappen have all achieved four championships.
Since securing his first title in the dramatic finale of the 2021 season, where he famously defeated Hamilton in a highly disputed manner, Verstappen has now won every Drivers' Championship. With this achievement, he joins an elite group of four-time champions, including Hamilton, Fangio, and Vettel, having won four titles in a row.
Only Schumacher has managed to achieve a streak of five.
Earlier this year, the team was caught up in a controversy when a female employee accused Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, of being controlling. Horner denied these claims and was later exonerated, with a following appeal being dismissed.
Horner praised Verstappen over the radio, saying, "Max Verstappen, you are now a four-time world champion. That’s an extraordinary achievement, something truly remarkable. You should take immense pride in what you’ve accomplished."
Red Bull is set to claim third place in the constructors' championship this season. In this century, only Hamilton with McLaren in 2008 and Verstappen in 2021 have secured the drivers' title without their team also winning the constructors' championship.
