So many challengers for Max Verstappen: four F1 titles won by beating four different rivals. Max Verstappen has won four F1 titles won by beating four different rivals.

Alternating Rivals Behind Max Verstappen
In a couple of months, the Formula 1 Circus will return to action in Australia for the start of the 2025 World Championship season. This will kick off the chase for Max Verstappen, the reigning champion and winner of the last four titles. Among the countless records achieved during this historic quadruple triumph, Verstappen also completed a rather curious statistic: in the seasons of his four victories, the runner-up in the championship was always a different driver. In 2021, it was Lewis Hamilton; in 2022, Charles Leclerc; in 2023, Sergio Perez; and in the most recent season, Lando Norris secured the second step on the podium.

Never before had a driver won their first four titles with four different vice-champions. Juan Manuel Fangio’s main rival, for example, was Stirling Moss, who finished second in 1955, 1956, and 1957, the year Fangio won his fifth title. Alain Prost, in his last two championships, bested Ayrton Senna in the standings. Michael Schumacher won his first two titles ahead of Damon Hill and later twice finished ahead of his then-teammate Rubens Barrichello. Sebastian Vettel, in three of his four championships, had Fernando Alonso as his closest challenger. Finally, Lewis Hamilton twice defeated Nico Rosberg in addition to beating Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas, after claiming his first title over Felipe Massa.

A Fifth Consecutive Title is No Certainty
Max Verstappen’s unique achievement is largely due to the regulatory changes of 2022, which curtailed Mercedes’ dominance and ended the rivalry with Lewis Hamilton that had defined his first championship win. This was followed by Red Bull’s period of supremacy, highlighted in 2023 by Sergio Perez’s second place in the standings and briefly challenged the previous year by Ferrari’s strong start with Charles Leclerc. Lastly, in the most recent season, the tightly contested second half of the championship saw Lando Norris emerge as Max Verstappen’s main rival—only to be beaten in the end.

It seems unlikely, however, that this streak will continue into 2025. Firstly, because based on late 2024 performances, it is far from certain that Verstappen will defend his title. Secondly, even if the Dutchman were to claim a fifth championship, the leading candidates for the runner-up spot appear to be Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, or Lando Norris once again.