Max Verstappen shares his three-word description for the 2024 F1 season

Max Verstappen described his 2024 F1 season as special, emotional and crazy during the FIA prize distribution gala in Rwanda. The Red Bull driver defended his championship title after beating Lando Norris by a 63-point difference.

Red Bull's dominance in the 2024 season wasn't the same as in the 2023 season, as they struggled to win races in the second half. McLaren closed the gap significantly with a few upgrades, and Norris became a direct competitor of Verstappen in the championship race.

The Dutch driver won nine races in the 2024 F1 season, a significant drop from the previous year, where he secured a record 19 victories. As he clinched his fourth championship title in a row, Verstappen collected his trophy at the FIA gala held on December 13 in the East African country, Rwanda.

Ahead of the event, he participated in an interview with the FIA where he was asked to describe his past season in three words. 'Special, emotional and crazy' were the three emotions used by Verstappen to sum up his 2024 season.

With a total of four championships, the Dutchman has joined the ranks of Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost to become the driver with the joint third most titles in F1 history. Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher lead the list with the joint most titles (seven) secured in the history of the sport.

Speaking at the FIA gala, the 27-year-old reflected on the ups and downs of the season. Despite the instability during mid-season, the four-time world champion took pride in how Red Bull didn't panic and stuck together (via formula1.com):

“We had a bit of a tough run in the middle of the season but even when we were under pressure, and having tough times, I think the team really stuck together. We didn’t panic, which could easily be done I think in those kinds of situations," said Verstappen.

In addition to Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc also attended the FIA gala to claim their P2 and P3 trophies, respectively. Meanwhile, McLaren won the Constructors' championship trophy after beating Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Max Verstappen serves his community service in Rwanda

Max Verstappen (Image Source: Getty)

Before getting crowned as the 2024 F1 season world champion at the FIA gala, Max Verstappen served his community service in Rwanda. The Dutchman was penalized after he used a cuss word during a press conference in Singapore. While the Red Bull ace didn't agree with the punishment, he served it by participating in the motorsports grassroots development program.

In addition, Charles Leclerc was also caught using expletives during a press conference. However, he escaped a penalty. Disappointed by FIA's restrictions, GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association) released a statement, saying the governing body needs to reconsider the move and treat drivers as humans.