Speaking to DAZN Spain after the race, the Dutchman, who has raced with the No. 1 on his car for the past four years, admitted he’s still thinking about which number to use next season.

"Probably not 33. I'm still thinking about it," he said, hinting that he might opt for a different number with the arrival of the new generation of cars.

The four-time world champion ultimately lost out by just two points to Lando Norris, who kept his cool and secured a third-place finish that was enough to clinch the title.

What remains impressive is the Dutchman’s remarkable comeback after the summer break, when, following the Dutch GP at Zandvoort, the mountain of points he needed to recover seemed almost impossible to climb.

The Dutchman did his part, winning the race and comfortably keeping the two title rivals at bay, but it wasn’t enough to secure a fifth consecutive world championship.

Many had expected Verstappen to slow the pace to keep the field together and not aid McLarens’ strategy, but that didn’t happen in the end.

Read top advisor Helmut Marko's verdict on the Abu Dhabi finale and Verstappen’s defeat here!