Max Verstappen could become just the second driver in F1 history to win five consecutive championships next year to match the German legend.
He will know that Red Bull need to improve their offering in 2025 for that to happen, with McLaren and Ferrari going into the winter break with a distinct advantage over the Milton Keynes-based team.
At this stage of the development cycle, the F1 grid has converged to a point never seen before.
Sauber would frequently be the slowest team on the grid but rarely more than a few tenths behind their closest rivals.
Even the Swiss-based team improved as the year went on which may give hope to their new driver pairing Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
However, in an interview with Formule1, Verstappen may have already ruled out an unlikely championship challenge from his German colleague.
Verstappen was asked what his rivals could do to beat him next season and how Red Bull helped him secure the title in 2024 and said: “Of course, you can only do that to a certain extent: you cannot win the world championship with a Sauber.
“That’s obviously not in the cards. We still maximised everything at certain, important moments this season, where others still made mistakes.
“That’s how we ended up winning the championship.”
Verstappen and Hulkenberg are closer than many would expect despite never being teammates and the German being 10 years older than the Red Bull star.
Hulkenberg has admitted to being close to signing for Red Bull previously in his career, although whether that’s during Verstappen’s time isn’t known.
It’s also been suggested that Verstappen and Hulkenberg may want to race together in Le Mans in the future when they both decide to move on from Formula 1.
Back in 2020, speaking after Hulkenberg’s stand-in performance at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix when the German qualified fourth and finished seventh, Verstappen said: “Nico did an amazing job in qualifying.
“They did a very good job over the winter, but I really hope that this will help Nico find a seat for next year because he definitely deserves to be in F1.”
Verstappen then predicted Hulkenberg’s return to the grid and continued: “There are definitely a few drivers who are not as good as him at the moment, and they are in F1. It’s hopefully a great boost for him I mean.”
Hulkenberg was quick to praise Verstappen speaking to the press after he won his fourth title in 2024 and said: “Incredible, what a guy!
“He’s just so strong, so quick all the time regardless of the temperature, the conditions.
“Hardly makes any mistakes and always just maximises what he can, even if he doesn’t have the winning car or the best car.
“Huge respect for that, and many congratulations to him. He did incredibly well again.”
The pair have a strong relationship but Verstappen is also a realist.
While he respects his ability as a driver, he was never going to go so far as to say that he could suddenly mount an unlikely championship charge.
