No. 12 Boise State heads to Wyoming hoping to maintain No. 4 seed in College Football PlayoffHow magic Max Verstappen rode the storm to seal his miracle fourth F1 title, writes JONATHAN McEVOY Max Verstappen sealed his fourth successive F1 world title in Las Vegas He joins Fangio, Schumacher, Vettel and Hamilton as only the fifth to do so The Dutchman did not have the fastest car and Lando Norris was right on his tail By JONATHAN MCEVOY Published: 22:30, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 22:30, 24 November 2024 e-mail View comments Max Verstappen exchanged his Red Bull for a can of Heineken. He placed it behind the sofa in the interview room and reprised his role in a TV advert by decrying the dangers of drinking and driving, at least in that order. He then casually put his finger on a key factor that made him world champion for a fourth time, a task achieved in consecutive years to raise his name, aged 27, in lights as bright as the neon Strip on which he had just raced. Having finished ‘only’ fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, won fabulously by Mercedes’ George Russell , Verstappen said: ‘I never think of the mental side. I just go out there and drive as fast as I can.’ It was the essential, distilled reason why it is the Dutchman — rather than Britain’s Lando Norris — who was driven by a Rolls-Royce Phantom on Saturday night to the Bellagio fountains to be feted for claiming motor racing’s supreme prize. Verstappen is the opposite of an idiot. He is highly intelligent, and a strand of his advanced thought process is a clear-headedness that banishes all self-doubt in his professional life. Visor down or in moments of quiet between races, he does not confuse himself with recriminations or soul-searching. He sees the fastest line at every turn. Max Verstappen won his astonishing fourth consecutive world championship in Las Vegas Verstappen joins Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton as only the fifth driver in Formula One history to win four successive world titles Lando Norris (above) chased Verstappen's tail masterfully through the back end of the season but did not quite have enough in the tank to deny the Dutchman his impressive achievement Verstappen and Norris put their arms around each other’s backs in the pen afterwards and chatted warmly. The McLaren man had finished sixth when he needed to win here, in Qatar next week and Abu Dhabi, to have even a faint chance of wresting the crown. And so his dream died close to midnight in the Nevada desert, but those hopes had been on nil-by-mouth since Verstappen battered him into submission in the wet in Brazil a fortnight before. It was a drive so compelling, from 17th place to first, that nobody else morally deserved the season’s honours. ‘Max deserved to win it,’ said Norris, correctly and graciously. ‘He drove a better season than I did. Max just doesn’t have a weakness. When he’s got the best car he dominates and when he’s not got the best car he’s still just there always.’ Norris has driven extremely well this season but wobbled at decisive moments. Whether he can train himself to be as steely as Verstappen is a moot point. Are these things acquired or hard-wired? He might be chivvied along by remembering the difference between being the best racer and merely one of the best racers is that the former is elevated into a pantheon of the sport’s immortals. Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, on seven titles each, and Juan Manuel Fangio, on five, stand ahead of Verstappen. But time is on Max’s side, and he is almost certain to move clear of Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel, like him on four, before he follows through on his intermittent pledge to quit before he is in his sporting dotage. He may be cast as a pantomime villain in Britain for his controversial beating of Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021, but there is no doubting his ability to get more out of his Red Bull than any other driver conceivably could. That was highlighted by his team-mate Sergio Perez finishing 10th. The disparity in points is revealing: Verstappen 403 to Perez’s 152. It tells of one driver’s majesty and, admittedly, another’s shot confidence. Verstappen has been forced to navigate a tricky year at Red Bull, with Christian Horner's saga at the start of the season kicking off a year of turmoil with the perennial champions Norris admitted that Verstappen deserved the world title and said he 'doesn't have a weakness' Remarkably, Verstappen has achieved his latest annexation of the title while Red Bull lie third in the constructors’ championship. It is rare that a driver triumphs when his team do not win the constructors’ championship. In recent times only Hamilton, in 2008, and Verstappen himself, in 2021, have pulled off the minor miracle of man rising so decisively above machine. And that is not all to be wondered at. Red Bull have been riven by division this year. They have been mired in controversy — the Christian Horner scandal, which prompted Max’s father Jos to say the team would ‘explode’ if the team principal did not quit. With the departure of design grandee Adrian Newey, they have threatened to unravel over the past few months from a reliable winning phenomenon into a gaggle who have lost predominance. Verstappen has kept his cool throughout, the odd radio tantrum apart, while all around him have lost their heads. Since he won in China on April 21, he has not possessed the fastest car. McLaren took over command in Miami on May 5. Yet Verstappen still reeled off crucial wins to which his car gave him no right. He held off a charge from Norris over the course of the longest season — 24 races — the sport has ever staged. ‘For 70 per cent of the year we didn’t have the fastest car, so we had to maximise every opportunity we had,’ said Verstappen, who rated this as the best title win of his quadruple. For the aforementioned reasons, there is no arguing with that. When it was over, he revealed emotion over the radio. He rarely does. He is not sensitive but nor is he insensitive. His tears hidden by his crash helmet, he cried: Mercedes' George Russell triumphed in Sin City as Verstappen picked up the championship Verstappen revealed his emotion over the radio after his title triumph was confirmed in Vegas Verstappen won his title with a 63-point lead over Norris, crossing the chequered flag fifth ‘Oh my God. What a season. Four times. Thanks to everyone. More difficult than last year. I thought it was impossible. But thanks to you guys... Thanks again.’ Read More EXCLUSIVE Christian Horner hits back in first interview since being cleared of 'inappropriate behaviour' The podium toppers, Russell, Hamilton and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, were whisked away to the Strip for the ceremonial in one Rolls-Royce, squashed in together. Verstappen had one to himself and his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, known as ‘GP’. Being feted is not what excites Verstappen, a champion without fripperies. A year ago, he bemoaned Sin City and, far more so, the extravagant nature of the fur-and-no-knickers inaugural race, even calling the circuit dull. He slightly revised his opinion after winning on its dusty roads, mind. ‘I don’t have to drive again today,’ he said as he put that Heineken away. His drink of choice is gin and tonic, and he declared himself thirsty. George Russell Lando Norris Max Verstappen Share or comment on this article: How magic Max Verstappen rode the storm to seal his miracle fourth F1 title, writes JONATHAN McEVOY e-mail Add commentDo you consider yourself shy, or are you the life of every gathering? This optical illusion quiz can reveal insights about how you are in social interactions. This optical illusion doesn’t just delve into your personality but is also perfect for sharing with friends and family, fostering meaningful connections without the pressure of competition. So what do you need to do to know the answer? 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Google has recently rolled out a redesigned music player for all apps on Android Auto, including popular services like Spotify and Apple Music. The latest update, Android Auto 13.4, has been gradually released over the past week, introducing some of the most significant changes to the platform in quite some time. One of the most noticeable updates in Android Auto 13.4 is the revamped music player. Previously, all audio apps shared a consistent design to ensure drivers did not have to relearn the layout for each app, promoting safety on the road. However, the latest update has brought a fresh look to the music player interface. The new design relocates the album art to the left side of the screen, creating more space for the track progress bar, which displays the track title, artist, and time. The text size has been slightly reduced to accommodate the changes. Additionally, the buttons have been expanded to occupy the full width of the display, maintaining a familiar layout for users. The most significant alteration is the repositioning of the track progress bar, enhancing the overall user experience. While the screenshots showcase Spotify, the redesign is expected to apply to all audio apps on Android Auto. The updated design also features the new Android Auto font, which has been recently implemented. These changes hint at Google's upcoming "Car Media" update, which is anticipated to enable Android Auto to play local media, including radio stations. Despite these improvements, the new features are not yet live in the current update. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our
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CM Omar Abdullah urges officials to take swift action to restore essential services in J&K
