Max Verstappen's fourth F1 world championship is "his best and hardest won" reckons Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Verstappen clinched his fourth straight crown in the Las Vegas Grand Prix with a fifth-place finish to become just the sixth driver to win at least four titles in F1 history.
His 2021 title was won after a white-hot battle with Lewis Hamilton, before he won 15 and 19 races on his way to the '22 and '23 titles.
The 2024 title was won after a season in which Red Bull's RB20 suffered an alarming drop in performance, but the Dutchman moved to the cusp of the crown with a stunning victory in Brazil, meaning he has wrapped up the crown with two races to spare.
Reflecting on the season, the "phenomenal" Verstappen's latest crown was ranked as his greatest by Horner.
"It has been a roller-coaster of a year and Max has been truly outstanding, we got off to a flying start, had a difficult summer but he just kept nailing the results," the Red Bull boss told Sky Sports F1.
"He's won eight grands prix, that's more than double any other driver and he's just been outstanding this year - it has been his best and hardest championship - he's shown maturity and delivered on the days when the car wasn't quite there.
"Nobody is more deserving of this championship than Max, it has been hard won and all credit goes to the men and women behind the scenes in Milton Keynes putting in tireless hours during the weeks, late nights and early starts. It has been tough.
"When we did it with Seb, I thought we'd never repeat that, and winning in 2021 was massive, and standing here with Max having won four and joining a very elite group of champions puts him among the all-time greats.
"He has more hunger than I've ever seen in any driver, the dedication, the application and self-belief in himself makes him one of the most phenomenal drivers I've ever seen."
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