Max Verstappen is the world champion once again, claiming the 2024 F1 drivers’ title under the bright lights of Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Verstappen’s fifth-place finish, a spot ahead of closest challenger Lando Norris, means the Dutchman has an unassailable lead with two rounds to go.
For many weeks, it seemed that Norris was set to launch a stirring title comeback but agonisingly for the Brit and his McLaren team, it never fully materialised.
So where did Verstappen build up his advantage? What races will Norris want back?
Now, The Independent looks at five key races in 2024 which led Verstappen to the title:
Chinese Grand Prix (19-21 April)
Round five of the 2024 season – as F1 returned to Shanghai for the first time in five years – was significant for both Verstappen and Norris in the wider schism of the season.
Verstappen won the sprint race and grand prix and by a margin where it was conceivable to many that another 2023-esque season of domination was on the horizon.
Yet it was also significant in showing the first signs of Norris at the front: the Brit claimed pole in the sprint but, in what would become a regular pattern, a poor start saw him drop to seventh. He finished the grand prix in second.
At this stage, Verstappen had won four out of the first five races. Red Bull were, once more, in cruise control with the Dutchman’s closest challenger being his teammate Sergio Perez. Norris was already 52 points behind at this stage.
But the course of the whole season was about to change.
Spanish Grand Prix (21-23 June)
Fast-forward two months and the season picture was looking altogether more dramatic and, to the relief of all of us watching, more competitive.
Norris had claimed his first F1 win in round six in Miami, while Verstappen has doggedly claimed tough victories in Imola and Canada. Barcelona saw McLaren have superior pace, with Norris starting on pole position.
Yet in a familiar tale, Norris lost the lead at the start, dropping to third, and though he battled through traffic, he finished 2.2 seconds behind Verstappen. It would be the first of a series of race wins which got away from the Bristolian and, in hindsight, key points that he could ill afford to let slip up. Norris knew it, deep down, too.
Spain would also mark Verstappen’s final win until November.
Austrian Grand Prix (28-30 June)
A week after Barcelona saw the first dramatic flashpoint of the 2024 season between the championship protagonists.
With Norris catching leader Verstappen in the closing stages, the pair collided at turn three at the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen was penalised with a 10-second time penalty but managed to finish the race in fifth, while Norris was forced to retire.
McLaren were fuming. Their team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown pointed the finger firmly at Verstappen and Red Bull. The touchpaper had been lit.
But yet again, it marked a points swing in Verstappen’s favour. On another day, it could easily have been a 25-point swing to Norris. Fine margins, both on track and in the championship race. It was also a sign of things to come when it came to tenacious car-to-car combat between the duo.
United States Grand Prix (18-20 October)
Skip another four months and it was still all to play for.
Norris had won twice in Zandvoort and Singapore but significantly had seen potential wins in Silverstone, Budapest and Monza slip by. Verstappen, in a car which was regularly only the fourth-quickest, was exceeding expectations in ‘damage limitation’ mode. The gap was 52 points, with Norris riding high off the back of an easy win in Singapore.
The paddock swung into Austin, therefore, with six races left and plenty of points on the table for the Brit. Yet while Ferrari soared to the top-two places, Norris and Verstappen duelled intensely for third place.
This battle represented the chasm in wheel-to-wheel driving. Verstappen defended heroically, terrifically putting his car in the right spot at the right time, while Norris toiled and dummied behind.
The McLaren eventually passed Verstappen but illegally, off the track, and the Dutchman was awarded third place. Again, Verstappen’s racing nous and experience came up trumps.
Brazilian Grand Prix (1-3 November)
Now with just four races left, it was do-or-die time for Norris on a horrendously wet weekend in Sao Paulo.
Yet after a stroke of good fortune in qualifying, Norris started on pole while Verstappen was all the way down in 17th. With the gap at 44 points, this was the moment for Norris to take a huge chunk out of Verstappen’s lead.
But what transpired instead was perhaps the best drive of the Red Bull driver’s life. He masterfully surged through the field, with exquisite expertise and precision in the rain, to win the race while Norris faltered, finishing only sixth.
It would be, in all but name, the title-clinching drive.
