GrandPrix247 2024 Driver of the Year: Max Verstappen

While in 2022, Verstappen fended off a brief challenge from Ferrari and Charles Leclerc but then walked away with that year's title, in 2023 it was a walk in the park for him as he was unchallenged, winning an unprecedented 19 races while Sergio Perez added two more as Red Bull missed out on victory in one race, the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, which was won by Carlos Sainz.

At the start of the 2024 F1 season, all the signs showed that it would be another year of Verstappen dominance, and indeed, he won the first seven out of ten races, which could've been eight had it not been for that magic brake malfunction in Melbourne.

The writing was on the wall, but then McLaren; Zak Brown, Andrea Stella, Lando Norris, and Co. brought the spray cans and covered it with their own graffiti.

While Red Bull lost their way with the development of the RB20 since Imola, McLaren made a huge step forward after the upgrade they brought to their MCL38 in Miami, which made it the pick of the field. The FIA also took the RB20's magic brake away.

And with Perez AWOL after his strong early start, Verstappen had to carry the team alone on his shoulders while also having to defend his title from the attacking Norris.

That meant he had to employ some extreme on-track tactics while fighting with his McLaren counterpart, but despite the criticism, he was unaffected.

He then went on to deliver one of the greatest drives in F1 history, winning from 17th on the grid in Sao Paulo, which basically broke Norris psychologically, and by the time they raced in Las Vegas, it was game over.

While in 2021, Verstappen had a car equally fast to Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and fought with him all season long to win his maiden title, there was also the Safety Car saga in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that somehow overshadowed the result. He was a deserved champion nevertheless.

However, in 2024, Verstappen won the title in a car that wasn't the fastest on the grid. It was on some occasions third or fourth fastest even, but he made the difference with his driving.

He also had to deal with the Christian Horner sexting scandal at the start of the season, with his father Jos adding fuel to the fire as he went on the attack against the Briton. Red Bull suffered from a civil war that saw Adrian Newey leave in the end, along with the highly experienced sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley.

All that meant Verstappen was not operating in an optimum environment, but he kept his cool and shut out all distractions to deliver the best season of his career.

For that, Max Verstappen is our 2024 F1 Driver of the Year, and we now look forward to seeing him defend his title in 2025. It won't be easy...