Max Verstappen's father has acknowledged that his son made a "very positive" stride towards securing a fourth consecutive drivers' world championship on Sunday.
"Defending the title is now just a formality," declared the specialist publication Auto Motor und Sport after Verstappen claimed victory from a P17 start amid challenging wet conditions at Interlagos.
"Give him the cup now," echoed the Spanish newspaper AS.
Verstappen's championship lead over Lando Norris had been narrowing recently, but his win significantly widened the margin to a comfortable 61 points with just three races left on the calendar.
In fact, Verstappen could potentially clinch the title in the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix.
When asked if this marked a turning point in the intense 2024 championship battle, Verstappen responded, "I mean, looking at it, it was incredibly important because I was expecting to lose points today.
"I'm not thinking about clinching the championship in Vegas, I just want clean races to the end. But if I'm world champion, I'll certainly think back to this grand prix," he told RTBF broadcaster.
It was a dramatic day for Verstappen, who described the "bullsh*t" of the lengthy delay before the red flag in qualifying, which left him starting lower on the grid on top of an additional five-place engine change penalty.
"My emotions today have been from almost trying to destroy the garage to winning the race," he joked.
Verstappen and his team boss Christian Horner suggested that a pro-British bias could have influenced the stewards' decision on Saturday.
"In other crashes like that, a red flag is waved immediately," Horner told Viaplay. "But it is what it is."
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko agreed, stating, "This is the perfect reaction to everything that has happened and everything that has been said recently."
Jos Verstappen, Max's father, also commented on the day, saying, "I think he really showed who is the very, very best, especially after everything those English journalists, those English ex-drivers, and those English commentators have said.
"I have experienced a lot with him, but today was really one of the best moments," added the former F1 driver.
Even Max had a message for his critics in the post-race FIA press conference, saying, "I have a quick question. I appreciate all of you being here, but I don't see any British press.
"They had to run to the airport? Or they don't know where the press conference is?"
The Red Bull and Verstappen camps believe that McLaren driver Norris may be the driver benefitting from perceived British bias, and Max's friendship with Norris has reportedly become strained.
"Max drove well and he was lucky today," Norris said after the race on Sunday, pointing to the red flag for Franco Colapinto's crash, which he felt allowed Verstappen a "free" tyre change.
"It was a gamble that paid off - it's not talent, it's just luck."
To have any chance, Norris now needs to gain 21 points over Verstappen in each remaining race. Even McLaren boss Andrea Stella admitted that the championship may already be decided.
"The belief always depends on the mathematical situation," Stella told Viaplay when asked about Norris's title prospects.
"It is clear that Max gave a strong signal today. It is also a reminder of how strong he is. We have always recognised his qualities," Stella added.
"He is a three-time world champion who is on his way to his fourth title. That is fully deserved," said Stella.
"But as long as we still have a theoretical chance, we will try to make it more difficult for him towards his fourth title."
Despite having criticized Red Bull's pace recently, even Jos Verstappen had to admit that Sunday in Brazil was "very positive" for Max.
"Let's hope so," he said. "We have seen that a lot can always happen, and very quickly. We still have three races to go, so we have a bit of a rest now. But it looks good." body check tags ::
