Having retained his Formula 1 world drivers’ championship for a fourth successive season, Max Verstappen has also now become a four-time International Racing Driver of the Year winner, presented by Pirelli, at the Autosport Awards.
The Dutchman once again claimed the fan-voted accolade after battling to a fourth drivers’ title, an achievement that sees him draw level with Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost.
After destroying the competition in 2023, it appeared the all-conquering pair of Red Bull and Verstappen would repeat the feat last year – only for things to slow down, somewhat literally, after the summer break.
Whereas he had previously dominated the season, Verstappen grew increasingly frustrated with the relative pace and performance of his Red Bull when compared to that of both McLaren and Ferrari, who emerged as the frontrunners for the majority of the second half of the year.
Tensions may have bubbled over at times but Verstappen, with a hat-trick of title crowns already behind him, did not panic and put in stellar performances to keep his head above water in his battle against the prevailing tide.
A stunning drive in the wet in Sao Paulo saw Verstappen go from 17th on the grid to claim one of the most memorable victories of his career and all-but sew up the title, which he duly collected with a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Celebrating in front of the Bellagio fountains and with his face plastered on the Sphere might not have been how Verstappen would have preferred to toast his championship, but he delivered when the chips were down, so maybe Vegas was the place to celebrate after all.
That performance in Brazil, coupled with his determination and the ability to eek as much out of an underperforming car as possible, has earned Verstappen yet another International Racing Driver gong at the Autosport Awards and the 27-year-old was delighted to win the vote.
“I just wanted to say big thank you to all the readers of Autosport for voting me international Driver of the Year,” Verstappen said on accepting the award.
“It's my fourth time winning it. So that is, of course, a very nice moment. It was a very challenging year with a lot of nice wins, tough moments as well. But of course, the most important thing was to come out on top, and that's what we did as a team.
“So yes, I’m very proud of that and once again, thank you very much for the award.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who collected the award on behalf of Verstappen, added: “It is a remarkable season that Max drove: nine victories, four sprint wins and nine pole positions.
"Incredible from a driver who continues to hit new heights, he is one of a kind, so to do that and repeat it after Sebastian’s dominance is something we never thought possible.”
To find out who our other Award winners are, go to autosport.com/awards
