“I’m really proud of him”: Max Verstappen’s race engineer shares his feelings after accepting 4-time F1 champion’s award 

Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen secured his fourth Drivers' Championship this past year, and one of the moments that stood out from the last season was the Dutchman's win at the Brazilian Grand Prix in November. Based on fans' votes, Autosport magazine awarded the champion's win in São Paulo as the Moment of The Year. Accepting the award on the driver's behalf was his race engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, who spoke about his feeling of pride for the 27-year-old's achievement after a winless spell in the middle of the season.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Lambiase talked about the difficult conditions with which Verstappen's race day began, after a qualifying session that saw the driver fail to make it past Q2. He eventually recieved a grid position of P17 due to taking on an internal combustion engine outside of his allocation, but started the race P15 after drivers Lance Stroll and Alex Albon missed the start.

Climbing from his starting position, dealing with rain and a red flag, Max Verstappen crossed the checkered flag to take victory. Speaking about his feelings after the race, Lambiase was delighted at the result, but he also highlighted the Red Bull driver's mindset before the race began.

“This race came at a time of the year when we were having to work extremely hard for everything we could manage come chequered flag. I don’t think Max had won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix earlier that summer and to say he was slightly aggrieved with the outcome of qualifying on a Sunday morning is an understatement. For him to pull out a drive such as that, under such scrutiny, pressure, and with the championship at stake was really quite remarkable. So, yeah I’m really proud of him for that.”

The Dutchman's win in Brazil was one of nine races that he won in 2024, giving him a total of 63 wins in Formula 1. This helped him achieve a fourth consecutive World Drivers' Championship title.

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Max Verstappen's reflection on the Brazil Grand Prix

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Jonathan Wheatley, Team Manager of Red Bull Racing, and Pierre Wache, Technical Director of Red Bull Racing, pose for a portrait after the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Brazil - Source: Getty

Speaking after his victory was secured at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Max Verstappen reflected on what was key to a successful finish. Verstappen spoke to the media after the race, crediting the team's decisions as well as temperament for the win. He said:

“My emotions today have been a rollercoaster. You know, with qualifying, being really unlucky with that red flag and starting P17, I knew that it was going to be a very tough race. But we stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were fine. All of these things together of course made that result possible. I mean, unbelievable to win here from so far back."

Max Verstappen's return to the track will be at the team's filming day on February 25th when the driver will drive the 2025 challenger, the RB21, in Sakhir, Bahrain.