ICYMI: ‘Simply lovely, simply incredible’ – How the internet reacted to Verstappen’s fourth world title

While George Russell charged to a remarkable victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the biggest celebration of the weekend was for Max Verstappen, who sealed his fourth consecutive world title to join an exclusive list of elite drivers in Formula 1 history. From a royal family to sporting legends, the stars were out in full force on social media to congratulate the Red Bull driver…

Takes one to know one

Verstappen’s fellow racers from both past and present were keen to applaud him on his hard-fought championship – and of course, who else would tick off the ‘adorable childhood photo’ rite of passage other than motorsport icon and three-time champion Sir Jackie Stewart?

They may have had some wonderfully tense moments on track this season, but Verstappen’s closest rival Lando Norris joined the heartwarming/embarrassing photo train, sharing a picture from the duo’s karting days that “feels like yesterday”.

Other drivers on the current grid were just as keen to show their respect and admiration for the Red Bull driver as Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and many others praised his impressive performances from the 2024 season.

A royal affair

As expected, plenty of celebrities were in attendance at the breathtaking Las Vegas GP, including actor Terry Crews, chef Gordon Ramsey, actor and racer Patrick Dempsey, and singers Adele and Rihanna.

But perhaps the most esteemed message posted in support of Verstappen was from the Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. Their translated praise reads: 'With great pleasure we congratulate Max Verstappen on the fourth consecutive world title in Formula 1!

“Despite a rough start this weekend in Las Vegas, he ran a solid race and stayed well ahead of his neighboring competitor. Together with his team, he showed that he has experience and quality. With two more races to go he has already prolonged his world title. Congratulations again on this impressive achievement!”

There were unsurprisingly several famous Dutch faces congratulating their countryman across socials – Liverpool star Virgil Van Dijk, former F1 racer Giedo van der Garde, and DJ Tiesto commended him across Verstappen's posts.

The paddock comes together

As well as his racing colleagues, teams up and down the grid were quick to heap on the adulation – they may be competitors every weekend, but they can all recognise when history is in the making at the hands of Verstappen.

Becoming the sixth driver to win four titles – joining Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, and Juan Manuel Fangio – is no mean feat, and the respect from teams was clear to see.

Red Bull revelry

Naturally, the team with the most cause to celebrate Verstappen’s title were Red Bull, and they certainly went all out across their multiple social media channels. Every angle of the festivities was captured, from team photos and interviews to an edit marking the 27-year-old’s and Vettel’s shared achievements.