A 'SPECIAL, BEAUTIFUL' SEASON

Verstappen is fifth in Las Vegas race won by Russell to seal fourth straight title

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Max Verstappen admitted he "never thought" he would win four world titles after wrapping up the 2024 Formula One championship under the Las Vegas lights on Nov 24.

His success ushered him into an elite club alongside Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (both seven-time champions), Juan Manuel Fangio (five), Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel (both four).

Of the six, only two have taken his first four consecutively: Verstappen and Germany's Vettel.

Seven wins in the opening 10 races launched the Dutchman to this success, but he needed to overcome a mid-season run of 10 without a win before victory in a rain-hit race in Brazil set up his fourth title.

"At 17, I was just happy to be there and dreaming of potential victories and standing on the podium, just normal things that are already very difficult to achieve," said the 27-year-old, whose fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix was enough to guarantee the title with two races to spare.