Max Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, shared his feelings after the Dutchman sealed his fourth consecutive Formula 1 title in the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Lambiase, the calm voice F1 fans have got used to over Verstappen's radio, is probably the best person to shed light about the Red Bull ace after all the time they have spent together in the heat of the battles for around nine years.
While the discussions have been tense at certain moments between the pair, their relationship endured the tough times yielding a fourth consecutive F1 drivers' crown despite a tumultuous season for Red Bull.
The Red Bull RB20 was not the best car most of the time, while Christian Horner's sexting scandal at the start of the season has had its toll on the team, especially the resulting hostilities between Red Bull team boss and Max's father, Jos Verstappen.
The fact that Adrian Newey jumped ship also did not help, not to mention the departure of the team's sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, all factors that played a role in destabilizing the team and threatening its 2024 F1 campaign.
But Verstappen rose to the occasion, and carried the team on his shoulders and with Lambiase on his side, delivered a fourth F1 title in a row with two races remaining this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lambiase said: "This year has shared many similarities to 2021 [the year Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton]. It was getting pretty intense at times.
"The buffer we had cemented it. He's taken another step, which is probably hard to believe. The effort he puts in with us, the respect he gives all his fellow drivers, OK we have seen it a bit, but he doesn't have to be there and win it every single weekend.
"He's come on a lot and I'm really proud of him," Lambiase concluded.
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