WATCH: Max Verstappen gets hand on F1 trophy for fourth time at FIA Gala award ceremony

Max Verstappen, a Red Bull driver, finally received his hard-earned F1 Trophy at the FIA Gala after winning the F1 2024 Championship. The award ceremony was hosted in Africa for the first time, and Max won the title for the fourth time in a row. Max Verstappen's first championship win raised questions about whether it was a unique incident or a winning pattern that would influence Formula One going forward.

The win for Max Verstappen heralds a new era for Formula One. Alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who also mentioned Rwanda's proposal to host an F1 race, International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Mohammed Ben Sulayem presented him with the trophy in Kigali, Rwanda. Max Verstappen, one of just six drivers since the championship's establishment in 1950 to have won four or more championships, expressed his pride in his season and all of the team members.

Watch here the video:

The moment @Max33Verstappen got his hands on the Formula 1 world drivers' championship trophy for the fourth time 😍#F1 pic.twitter.com/CxViwyNEob

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 13, 2024

"It's amazing; four titles is definitely incredible. Of course, I also hope it doesn't stop here. I hope we can be successful for a longer period of time. This year the competition is very close, but then again, in 2026, a lot is going to change," Verstappen said.

McLaren finally took home the constructors title

Max's achievement was acknowledged and praised by Verstappen's adversary and Season's P2 McLaren's Lando Norris, who expressed a desire to continue the competition for Best Driver the next year, ideally with a different outcome. His Sergio Perez won Action of the Year for a quick overtake in China, despite not being present at the event. He is still unsure of his future with Red Bull.

In the meantime, Gabriel Bortoleto, the Brazilian F2 champion, won Rookie of the Year. In Formula One, Gabriel would make his debut with Sauber the following year. After 26 years, McLaren finally took home the constructors' title, ending Red Bull's dominance. Lando Norris of McLaren congratulated Verstappen and said he was eager to help him next year.