Verstappen F1 history assured thanks to remarkable stat

Max Verstappen looks all but certain to wrap up his fourth consecutive F1 drivers' championship by the time the 2024 season comes to an end in Abu Dhabi.

It will be remembered as the most difficult title defence the Dutchman has endured, after cantering to the crown the past two seasons, that latter of which was the most dominant season in the history of the series.

In doing so, the 27-year-old will not only match the achievements of Sebastian Vettel, but enter the pantheon of the greats, becoming one of just six to win four or more championships during their F1 careers.

Furthermore, he will become one of only a handful of drivers to secure four or more successive titles, joining Juan Manual Fangio (1954-57); Michael Schumacher (2000-04); Vettel (2010-13); and Lewis Hamilton (2017-20).

Only Alain Prost has achieved the same level of success in F1 without winning four on the bounce. The Frenchman went back-to-back in 1985 and '86, before adding the 1989 and 1993 championships, respectively.

However, in a season in which Verstappen has been pushed more than he has become accustomed to, a remarkable statistic has underlined why he will become the F1 drivers' champion yet again.

Over the past five rounds, the Red Bull driver has scored 90 points, equal to that of both Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, something that is noteworthy in itself.

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What the parity between the three drivers since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix shows, is that in the midst of a torrid run of form for both Red Bull and its RB20, Verstappen has been able to match the performance-levels of not only one, but two rival cars and drivers.

The five grand prix span started directly after the Italian Grand Prix, and during a time in which Red Bull had been at a loss to explain the lack of race pace displayed by its car.

That weekend in Monza provided some answers and clarity, but it faced a significant task to elevate the RB20 to the level of McLaren's MCL38 - one it arguably had not yet completed.

With Ferrari's upgrades also vaulting the SF-24 back to the sharp end, the fact Verstappen has been able to compete with the two teams' lead drivers encapsulates why he will take the championship.

The 62-time grand prix winner enjoys a 62-point advantage with only three rounds to run, meaning a highly improbable swing in Norris' favour is the only thing that can deny him at this stage.

Verstappen, having triumphed in four of the opening five grand prix of the year, underscored his ability to maximise results whilst the RB20 was still the dominant force in F1.

From the sixth round onwards, McLaren and Ferrari were able to compete on a more equal footing, but the Dutchman still was able to take three more victories over the next five rounds.

However, as Mercedes joined the race-winning conversation, Verstappen and Red Bull embarked on a 10-grand prix victory-less run, their worst period since 2020.

Despite that, the 27-year-old was able to minimise the damage inflicted on his championship aspirations, maintaining a healthy, if dwindling, advantage over Norris.

Over the latter part of the drought, the RB20 was undoubtedly off the front-running pace set by McLaren and Ferrari, and yet Verstappen was still able to maximise, something that was punctuated by his sublime Sao Paulo Grand Prix win from P17 on the grid.

His 2024 campaign will likely not be remembered as one of the all-time greats, and the championship is unlikely to go to wire as his maiden title did in 2021, but Verstappen has nevertheless shown why he will continue to ascend the increasingly-selective groups of F1 champions.