Max Verstappen just picked up his fourth straight championship trophy at the FIA Gala in Kigali, joining an elite group of Formula 1 legends who’ve achieved this remarkable feat.
The 26-year-old Dutch driver’s path to the title wasn’t exactly smooth sailing this year.
“As you could see in the video, the season was quite up and down,” Verstappen told the crowd. “We had a great start to the year, and everything was looking great. But the competition did a great job – they improved their cars a lot and made it really difficult for us.”
It’s been quite a journey. After dominating the first part of the season with seven wins in 10 races, Verstappen hit a rough patch. He went months without a victory between the Spanish Grand Prix in June and his eventual return to the top spot in Brazil.
But what’s really impressive is how his team handled the pressure.
“We had a tough run in the middle of the season, but we didn’t panic,” he said. “The team really stuck together, which isn’t always easy in those situations.”
While Verstappen claimed the drivers’ title, Red Bull missed out on the constructors’ championship – something that clearly bothers him.
“We’re not standing here as constructors’ champions, but I think we deserved a little bit more in that championship,” he admitted.
Now he’s in some pretty incredible company. Only five other drivers have won four championships in a row: Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton.
“As a kid, you look at these names and think ‘wow, that’s really impressive.’ You just hope to make it to the podium one day,” Verstappen reflected. “Sometimes you get lucky in life – you’re in the right place at the right time, and as a driver, you have to take advantage of that.”
Looking ahead, he’s excited about what’s coming next. With major rule changes set for 2026 and several teams getting more competitive, the racing world could look very different soon.
“I hope it doesn’t stop here,” he said. “But for now, it’s important to enjoy the moment and be proud of what we’ve achieved as a team.”
