Max Verstappen has revealed how his loss at the Miami Grand Prix triggered a flashback to his points turnaround in 2022 as he feared losing the 2024 Formula 1 title.
Verstappen maintained his unbeaten record under the current ground effect regulations as he wrapped up his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas.
But while he headed into the rules change in 2022 as the reigning champion, Verstappen’s maiden title defence began with two retirements in the opening three races.
Red Bull’s woes saw Verstappen reside 46 points behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in sixth place, but the tables soon turned as the Dutchman went on a dominant stint.
Verstappen proceeded to record 14 victories over the remaining 19 races to claim his second title with three rounds to go with an eventual 146-point gap over Leclerc.
That remains the greatest margin overhauled in F1 as Lando Norris was unable to overturn his once 84-point deficit to Verstappen despite McLaren’s pace advantage.
But although his lead still stands at 63 points with two races to go, Verstappen has expressed that Norris’ win in Miami planted some doubts about his title prospects.
Asked whether there was ever a point he considered Norris the favourite, Verstappen told media including Motorsport Week:
“Well, I would say from Miami onwards, most of the time, we were not the quickest anymore.
“And Miami is still very early on in the season. So for 50 points, 60 points, they can very easily be overturned if you keep maximising results and not do anything crazy.
“So, I mean, I’ve experienced that myself, you know, being 30, 40 points down. I think in ‘22. And anything is possible. So, I had that always in the back of my mind.
“But at the same time, it’s just focus on what I could control within the team and just give it everything every single weekend.”
Red Bull’s Monza low point
Red Bull’s downturn in competitiveness reached a nadir at Monza when Verstappen claimed that winning the title wasn’t realistic as he branded the RB20 a “monster”.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has conceded that the Italian Grand Prix marked the point in the season when he was most concerned the championship was slipping.
Asked whether he agreed with Verstappen’s assessment that Red Bull didn’t have the quickest car for 70 per cent of 2024, Horner replied: “I would say it’s about right.
“Since Miami, I would say that was a turning point.
“The car was very difficult to drive, but he was able to adapt and get the most out of it.
“I think we’ve improved it in latter races, but certainly around Monza time, it looked like the championship was slipping away.
“There was still a long way of the championship to go, and we had a significant disadvantage to McLaren, Ferrari and even the Mercedes at that point.”
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