- Max Verstappen won the World Drivers’ Championship for a fourth straight year
- But his Red Bull team currently sit third in the 2024 constructor standings
- Employees’ bonuses are apparently based on the Constructors’ Championship
It has been a weekend of celebration for Red Bull after Max Verstappen sealed the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship for the fourth year in a row.
However, his individual glory will apparently not result in bonus payments being activated for members of the Red Bull team.
Verstappen finished fifth in Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, earning 10 points.
That was enough to build an unassailable lead over McLaran’s Lando Norris in the driver standings.
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez also finished in the points in Vegas as he placed 10th.
But these points were not enough to improve Red Bull’s position in the 2024 constructor standings.
Max Verstappen (centre top) pictured celebrating with his Red Bull team on Saturday night
Verstappen finished fifth in the Las Vegas GP, while team-mate Sergio Perez (right) came 10th
Saturday’s result sealed the World Drivers’ Championship title for a fourth straight year and he was congratulated by Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko (right)
With only two races remaining, Red Bull have 555 points but are behind both Ferrari (584) and McLaren (608).
Speaking after Saturday’s race, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko told DAZN: ‘We have to have two drivers who finish in the points.
‘Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio [in the driver standings].
‘For now the main thing was to win the [Drivers’] Championship for Max but for our employees it is a disappointment because they will not receive their bonuses, as they depend on our position in the Constructors’ Championship.’
Red Bull won the Constructors’ Championship in 2022 and 2023.
Those wins followed eight years of dominance by Mercedes.
Should McLaren hold onto top spot this year then it will be their first Constructors’ Championship win since 1998.
