McLaren’s championship challenge to Verstappen came later in the season than they would have hoped, with the team chasing down the champion since Norris’ Miami GP victory.
Despite Red Bull’s decline in performance, their rivals failed to capitalise on their errors as Verstappen remained consistent enough to maintain his lead ahead of Norris in the drivers’ standings.
While Norris and McLaren will regroup and focus on their 2025 title bid, the 25-year-old will undoubtedly reflect on missed opportunities over the course of the season.
However, the Brit has now been slammed by Mercedes star George Russell, who claims the championship fight should have gone down to the wire.
Russell emerged victorious at the Las Vegas GP, and appeared energised in a post-race interview as he claimed he wants to take the fight to Verstappen next season.
"I just want to make sure we get in that fight now because it’s about time somebody gave him a proper fight," he said to Viaplay. "That’s my plan, that’s what I want to do.
"He’s a fierce competitor and Red Bull are doing amazing but this championship probably should’ve gone down to the wire.
"You could argue that Max probably wasn’t the favourite at one point and yet he wins it with races to go.
"So we need to get our stuff together to make it a bit more challenging."