Nitrodaze
24th November 2024, 17:33
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Max Verstappen, four times F1 Driver's World Champion!
This season was a mix bag of performances. Redbull and Verstappen started the season on a high and then came the dip. Some have said that was because the FIA ordered bits considered to be illegal in the car to be removed. With Redbull's dip came McLaren's ascendance. And we watched with interest as the handsome lead of Verstappen slowly got eroded by Norris, It seemed certain at that point, that we had a race-to-wire developing before us. The loss of the title to Norris was saved by how well Verstappen fought when he was down in a slow Redbull fighting on his back foot. He earned my respect by his determination to achieve the best possible damage limitation when the going was tough. This essentially is what won him his fourth and best WDC title to date.
He reaches the benchmark set by Vettel of four titles. Now we look forward to the future to see if he can better it. There is no doubt that he has what it takes to exceed four WDC titles.
But how did the driver's championship elude Norris and McLaren? We may need to be reminded of how woefully the start of the season was for McLaren. Their preparation for the 2024 season was off by the first four races of the season. The furthest thing on anyone's mind by the first quarter of the season was McLaren as a championship contender. They were mostly seen as a midfield team having a poor start to the season.
McLaren's season was a direct converse of the Redbull season. While Redbull started the season with a bang, McLaren started the season with a squeak. As Redbull's luck began to fade, McLaren's new car began to deliver surprisingly good performances through the middle of the season. As we approached the last quarter of the season, Redbull began to recover as McLaren's form began to plateau. The poor start of the season placed a high toll on McLaren's championship chances for the WDC. But also, they failed to make hay while the sun was shining. While Verstappen was doing a good job of damage limitation. Norris and McLaren were not doing a good job of maximizing the opportunity offered by their superior advantage through the middle of the season. They were too slow to realize that they were effectively in a title fight. Most teams would put their efforts into the driver that arrives at the summer break with the most points as the leader of the team for the second half. It was clear to everyone else apart from the McLaren management that they had to take a chance on Norris to see if a gamble to win the championship could pay off. How invaluable those points' reversion to Piastri has turned out to be.
Sometimes, opportunity comes unexpectedly. The difference between the champions and those aspiring to be world champions is how well they seize opportunity and convert it into a win. That is the difference underlying this 2024 championship outcome. That is why we admire Mercedes and Hamilton. That is why we now admire Redbull and Verstappen. Champions show what they are made of when the going is tough.
But McLaren and Norris would have learnt a very valuable lesson. Even when you are behind, you are still in a championship fight until you are not.
CONGRATULATIONS TO A WELL-DESERVING FOUR-TIME F1 DRIVER WORLD CHAMPION.
MAX VERSTAPPEN 2024 F1 DRIVER'S WORLD CHAMPION
Max Verstappen, four times F1 Driver's World Champion!
This season was a mix bag of performances. Redbull and Verstappen started the season on a high and then came the dip. Some have said that was because the FIA ordered bits considered to be illegal in the car to be removed. With Redbull's dip came McLaren's ascendance. And we watched with interest as the handsome lead of Verstappen slowly got eroded by Norris, It seemed certain at that point, that we had a race-to-wire developing before us. The loss of the title to Norris was saved by how well Verstappen fought when he was down in a slow Redbull fighting on his back foot. He earned my respect by his determination to achieve the best possible damage limitation when the going was tough. This essentially is what won him his fourth and best WDC title to date.
He reaches the benchmark set by Vettel of four titles. Now we look forward to the future to see if he can better it. There is no doubt that he has what it takes to exceed four WDC titles.
But how did the driver's championship elude Norris and McLaren? We may need to be reminded of how woefully the start of the season was for McLaren. Their preparation for the 2024 season was off by the first four races of the season. The furthest thing on anyone's mind by the first quarter of the season was McLaren as a championship contender. They were mostly seen as a midfield team having a poor start to the season.
McLaren's season was a direct converse of the Redbull season. While Redbull started the season with a bang, McLaren started the season with a squeak. As Redbull's luck began to fade, McLaren's new car began to deliver surprisingly good performances through the middle of the season. As we approached the last quarter of the season, Redbull began to recover as McLaren's form began to plateau. The poor start of the season placed a high toll on McLaren's championship chances for the WDC. But also, they failed to make hay while the sun was shining. While Verstappen was doing a good job of damage limitation. Norris and McLaren were not doing a good job of maximizing the opportunity offered by their superior advantage through the middle of the season. They were too slow to realize that they were effectively in a title fight. Most teams would put their efforts into the driver that arrives at the summer break with the most points as the leader of the team for the second half. It was clear to everyone else apart from the McLaren management that they had to take a chance on Norris to see if a gamble to win the championship could pay off. How invaluable those points' reversion to Piastri has turned out to be.
Sometimes, opportunity comes unexpectedly. The difference between the champions and those aspiring to be world champions is how well they seize opportunity and convert it into a win. That is the difference underlying this 2024 championship outcome. That is why we admire Mercedes and Hamilton. That is why we now admire Redbull and Verstappen. Champions show what they are made of when the going is tough.
But McLaren and Norris would have learnt a very valuable lesson. Even when you are behind, you are still in a championship fight until you are not.
CONGRATULATIONS TO A WELL-DESERVING FOUR-TIME F1 DRIVER WORLD CHAMPION.
MAX VERSTAPPEN 2024 F1 DRIVER'S WORLD CHAMPION