Dutchman had to show patience and composure after recovering from a shaky start to dominate his rivals, winning 12 times in 18 races
Dominant and imperious, there was an unmistakable air to how Max Verstappen secured his second Formula One world championship that had familiar echoes of the greats who have indelibly made their mark on the sport. This season has belonged to Verstappen who delivered with the command and control of a champion, with an almost untrammelled confidence and ease, yet it was a title for which he most assuredly had to work.
With victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen and his Red Bull team have sealed the title with four races to go, a remarkable achievement his team will celebrate, even as they await the potentially serious FIA verdict on whether they overspent the budget cap last season.