Max Verstappen has dismissed speculation about a possible departure from Red Bull after winning his fourth consecutive Formula 1 world title in Las Vegas.

Verstappen admitted he had considered a team change during a difficult season on and off the track, with Mercedes team manager Toto Wolff openly courting the Dutchman as a replacement for the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

“I am very loyal to the team” he said. “I appreciate, of course, what they did for me in getting me back from F3 and giving me a seat in F1 and then going through all those emotions over the years with those key people in the team.

“So when there are difficult times, it’s very easy to say goodbye or forget it or ignore it. But I think it’s actually much more important to face them and get through them together.

Verstappen finished fifth in Las Vegas with a controlled ride, one place ahead of title rival Lando Norris. The result gave him an unassailable 63-point lead in the title race with just two races remaining.

The 27-year-old has won seven of the first 10 Grands Prix this season, but struggled in the second half as the Ferrari and McLaren cars left the Red Bulls behind.

But Verstappen responded with a magnificent rain-affected race in Brazil three weeks ago, winning from 17th on the grid. Team boss Christian Horner hailed as a ‘masterclass’.

His fourth title equals that of Sebastian Vettel and leaves only Hamilton and Michael Schumacher ahead of him, with seven titles each, and Juan Manuel Fangio, with five.

Internal investigation

Off track Red Bull’s season was disrupted by an internal investigation into Horner following allegations of inappropriate behavior by a female colleague. Verstappen indicated he could leave the team if veteran adviser Helmut Marko was forced out amid claims information about Horner had been leaked.

The complaint against Horner was dismissed in August, while Red Bull retained the services of Marko and Verstappen.

With Mercedes occupying the top two spots in Las Vegas, Verstappen said he expects an even more competitive season in 2025.

He said: “Last year I had a dominant car, but I always felt that not everyone appreciated what we achieved as a team, winning 10 in a row.

“But I’m also very proud of this season because I would say that for 70% of the season we didn’t have the fastest car, but we still increased our lead.