“He came up to me, congratulated me and it must have been very tough in that last lap. It also shows the respect we had for each other, in general.
“Of course we had our tough times through the season but in the end we were respectful of what we were doing and we were pushing each other to the limit the whole season. It has been really enjoyable racing against him.”
‘I could have left Red Bull, but this means more’
After the race, an emotional Verstappen on team radio said he wanted to stay at Red Bull “forever” after finally clinching a title he has proved he is capable of in recent years. After being linked with a move away on several occasions, Verstappen is grateful he has been rewarded for his loyalty.
