Formula 1 Special: The Five Races Which Won Max Verstappen the World Championship

But as Red Bull imploded on and off the track and their rivals Ferrari and McLaren caught up, Verstappen had his hands full as he tried desperately to retain his title.

Despite a stern challenge from Lando Norris', the Dutchman's fifth place in Saturday night's Las Vegas Grand Prix secured his fourth consecutive world title.

While there were races where he crossed the line or made a rare mistake, Verstappen undoubtedly made the difference in 2024.

But which races were key in securing Verstappen's gustiest title yet?

Cool heads prevail in Imola

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Despite winning five out of the first seven races, Verstappen knew 2024 wouldn't be easy, with McLaren and Ferrari now fighting for wins.

With the European leg of the championship kicking off at Imola, a circuit where passing is tricky, getting the right balance was essential for a good lap time.

But the weekend started abysmally. Verstappen spent more time in the gravel trap than on the asphalt in both Friday practice sessions and, as a result, was off the pace.

An overnight set-up change put Red Bull and Verstappen back in the fight, and he delivered a superb lap to take his eighth consecutive pole from Oscar Piastri.

In a slower-burner of a race, Norris ate up the ground in the closing stages, and the gap continued to dwindle as the chequered flag approached.

Nevertheless, Verstappen looked in complete control and just held off the Brit to take his sixth win of 2024 in what was a masterclass of calm, defensive driving.

Back to business in Canada

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Following a nauseating Monaco GP, where he spent most of the race wondering if he should have brought a pillow, Verstappen returned to winning ways in Montreal. In qualifying, he and George Russell set equal times, with the Brit getting pole because he set it first.

Rain before the start meant intermediates were the tyre of choice, with Verstappen staying within Russell's touching distance during the opening stint. Norris then closed in the pair and would breeze past the Red Bull down the back straight on lap 20, moving into second.

Verstappen regained second when Russell straight-lined the final chicane, dropping him to third and promoting Norris to the lead.

With the safety car's deployment on lap 26 following Logan Sargeant's shunt, Red Bull pitted Verstappen straightaway, jumping him into the lead after McLaren kept Norris out for one more lap.

As the track dried, the question would now be who could handle the damp conditions best. In the end, an earlier second stop enabled Verstappen to jump Norris at the pit exit, and with both Brits squabbling for second, a 60th F1 career win was secured.

Damage limitation nearly turns into victory in Great Britain

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Silverstone has always been an 'away game' for Verstappen, and in 2024, he came into the weekend under intense scrutiny following his and Norris' collision in Austria.

Adding to his woes was floor damage in qualifying, meaning fourth was the maximum he could achieve.

In the race, Verstappen dropped back and fell into Carlos Sainz's clutches before an early switch to intermediates turned his race around. Once back with the lead group headed by Russell and Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen jumped to fourth after McLaren had kept Piastri out one lap too long.

Russell's retirement on lap 39 promoted him to third, and with track conditions beginning to dry, Verstappen followed Hamilton in for slicks. Red Bull switched to hards, while Norris went one lap longer but overshot his pit box, costing him time.

With the bit between his teeth, Verstappen got past a struggling Norris with five laps to go and set off in pursuit of Hamilton, who was chasing his first win since 2021. He got within two seconds of his former nemesis, but the seven-time world champion wouldn't be denied an emotional victory in front of his home crowd.

Considering his struggles in the first stint, second place was a fine result for Verstappen as it kept him in control of the championship.

Elbows out does the trick in the United States

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With McLaren gaining momentum and Red Bull floundering, maximum points from the Sprint weekend at Austin would be vital in keeping Verstappen's championship defence on the rails.

While he might not be a fan of the Sprint concept, Verstappen has a knack for dominating them, and Austin was no exception. He took pole before dominating the mini-race from start to finish.

He had looked on course for pole position for the main race before Russell's shunt brought out the red flag, putting him second behind Norris.

The pair were level approaching turn 1, but Verstappen squeezed Norris, enabling Charles Leclerc to take the lead ahead of the Dutchman and Sainz.

Sainz did get by at the stops, but just as it seemed third was secured, Norris charged in the closing laps and ate into Verstappen's gap.

Norris tried to pass on the exit of turn 12, but Verstappen squeezed him. The Brit used the runoff area to take third, earning the attention of the stewards, who dropped him to fourth behind the Dutchman in the final results.

A samba in the rain of Brazil

Mexico City saw Verstappen lose all discipline, picking up 20 seconds of penalties for two incidents with Norris, which mercifully didn't result in either being sent into the barrier.

With a five-place grid penalty added for an engine component change, Verstappen needed a good sprint result in Brazil and a flawless qualifying to keep his championship lead intact.

It didn't happen. Third in the Sprint became fourth after he was penalised for a Virtual Safety Car infringement. In qualifying, an ill-timed red flag meant 12th was the best he could do, which became 17th with penalties applied.

But rather than accept his fate, Verstappen produced a masterclass in wet weather driving, making up seven spots by the end of the opening lap, picking off his rivals who seemed frozen in time.

By just under halfway, he was running second behind Esteban Ocon until a slightly fortuitous red flag caused by Franco Colapinto crashed under the safety car.

Before the stoppage, Verstappen had yet to pit, and with his free tyre stop, victory now looked possible. Once racing resumed, the result was never in doubt as he quickly cleared the Frenchman and set a string of fastest laps.

With Norris down in sixth, Verstappen's rain dance ended a 10-race win drought and sealed title number four. His performance in Brazil was arguably the greatest in his long F1 career, making his harshest critics stand up and applaud a tremendous display of driving.