Max's mastery seems sure to continue even beyond finale

FOR ALL the in-race drama of Las Vegas last weekend, the first driver past the chequered flag was the same as it has been for 18 grands prix this season.

- Matt Majendie

And few would bet against Max Verstappen extending his record race win haul for a single season to 19 at the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Those teams vying for second spot has changed over the course of the season, from Aston Martin being the surprise package early on to Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all having a turn at being the best of the rest. The man out front has barely altered at all.

The gap to Red Bull may have closed, but Verstappen and his team still have an unassailable advantage in races, which shows few signs of abating next year.

With no major regulation changes again until 2026, there will not be a bolt from the blue which suddenly turns Formula One's world order on its head over the course of the winter. Instead, Verstappen's rivals are consigned to the idea that next season will be much the same as the last.

Ominously, the suggestion is that Adrian Newey and his technical team have yet to extract the very best from the RB19.