Max Verstappen just clinched his fourth straight Formula 1 world championship, and even his biggest rivals can’t help but be impressed.
What makes this title special? The Red Bull driver didn’t always have the fastest car this year – but that didn’t stop him from dominating the season.
“He’s driven for four years now at an incredibly high level,” said Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who finished third in the latest race. “This year he just dominated whenever he had a dominant car, and then he didn’t make mistakes when the car wasn’t at its best.”
Sainz knows what he’s talking about. He just outqualified his teammate Charles Leclerc but couldn’t catch George Russell for pole position in the most recent race.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso thinks this might be Verstappen’s most impressive title yet.
“This one has to feel very special to him,” the Aston Martin driver said. “The car isn’t as dominant as last year, but he put it in positions that didn’t seem realistic.”
Alonso pointed to Brazil as the perfect example of Verstappen’s skill behind the wheel. “That weekend was all down to him. He was simply the best this year.”
It’s pretty rare to hear F1 drivers praise their competitors so openly. But Verstappen’s performance this season has been so strong, even his rivals can’t deny it.
The scary part? At just 26 years old, Verstappen might be just getting started.
