If you’re going to win a Formula 1 championship, there’s no better place to do it than Las Vegas, a city dedicated to excess, glamor, and a good time. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen had a chance to learn that firsthand when he wrapped up his 2024 campaign in Sin City.
In fact, the post-title party raged well into the next morning, as Max Verstappen celebrated his fourth hard-fought championship!
Max Verstappen: “In Vegas, it doesn’t really matter what time it is”
As the 2024 Formula 1 season got underway, it looked as if we were in for yet another Max Verstappen runaway. He’d won four of the first five races of the year, and no one seemed prepared to stop him.
But in Miami, things changed. McLaren brought an upgrade package that turned the tides of the season, and Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 race. Even though Verstappen kept a firm grasp on the lead of the championship, Norris’ challenge was enough to keep us on our toes for the summer.
An impressive win at a rain-drenched Brazil, though, saw Verstappen in line to win the championship in Las Vegas — and even though he didn’t win the Grand Prix, he did snatch up his fourth consecutive World Championship. And perhaps at the best venue for a party, too.
More on the upcoming F1 2025 championship:
👉 Why a settled McLaren can win both titles in F1 2025 season
👉 Why Ferrari can win the F1 2025 titles with Lewis Hamilton on board
“It was great,” Verstappen recalled of his post-race celebrations in a conversation with Viaplay.
“I didn’t sleep much and didn’t leave the circuit until around four o’clock [in the morning]. Of course I had already had a few drinks, so I became more and more honest!
“I was with Martin Garrix, he was playing there at the weekend. We really had a great time, we laughed a lot. We ended up at the bar in the casino, I think around nine in the morning.”
In a city like Las Vegas, it can be easy to lose track of time, so Verstappen’s early morning bar hopping wasn’t much of a surprise!
“People were gambling, some were having breakfast, and others were drinking,” Verstappen recalled.
“In Vegas, it doesn’t really matter what time it is.”
Despite the race sealing his championship, Verstappen admitted to Viaplay that it “won’t be in my top 100.”
“I didn’t really find it exciting for myself, but I did what I had to do, and that was of course the most important thing,” he said of his fifth-place finish.
Heading into 2025, the Dutch driver is once again a favorite pick for the title, but with McLaren in top form, Lando Norris is expected to mount a strong challenge.
Read next: Eight F1 drivers we can’t believe never won a championship
