Verstappen compares ‘very different’ F1 titles at FIA gala

Max Verstappen has described each of his F1 drivers’ championships as “very different”, something he feels is “very special.”

The Dutchman picked up his fourth-consecutive F1 drivers’ title in 2024, having endured a difficult campaign with Red Bull.

The RB20 proved to be a pale imitation of its predecessor, the RB19. It meant F1 went from experiencing the most monolithic and dominant season in championship history to one of the most competitive.

Verstappen won 19 of 22 rounds in 2023, with team-mate Sergio Perez picking up two of the remaining three. Carlos Sainz and Ferrari would offer the only non-Red Bull victory all year, at the Singapore Grand Prix.

In 2024, whilst Verstappen eventually won the championship with two rounds to run, the year saw four teams win multiple grand prix and seven drivers claim more than one win.

Due to that level of competitiveness, Red Bull failed to retain its constructors’ crown, falling to third behind McLaren and Ferrari.

As for his first two titles, perhaps considered Verstappen’s least impressive or eventful championship was 2022.

Whilst Ferrari and Charles Leclerc started the year in strong form, they trailed off, leaving Verstappen to comfortably secure his second crown and Red Bull’s first constructors’ since the Sebastian Vettel era.

2021 was undoubtedly the most controversial and hard-fought of the quartet, when Verstappen went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi against seven-time F1 drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton.

Like most of the season leading up to it, the year ended in contentious circumstances, but the 27-year-old nevertheless held out, passing the now-outgoing Mercedes driver on the final lap at the Yas Marina Circuit.

When touching upon the distinct and diverse array of championships in his collection, Verstappen was keen to underline how proud he is of winning his latest, “challenging” title.

“I think all of them are very different, which I think makes it always very special,” Verstappen said at the end-of-season FIA awards ceremony.

“And for us, it’s been quite a challenging year, so to be standing here still winning the title, I’m very proud of.”