Formula 1: a look back at the top five records Max Verstappen shattered this season

Highlights: Formula 1: a look back at the top five records Max Verstappen shattered this season. Red Bull's flagship driver is now third in the list of drivers who have won the most races in motorsport's premier class, behind Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton and his 103 victories. The Batavian beat his own record for wins from last season (15) He scored a winning percentage of 86.36% over the season, which is unprecedented in the history of Formula 1.

By winning the last Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, Max Verstappen concluded, in the most beautiful way, his extraordinary 2023. The Dutchman, at the wheel of his Red Bull, has crushed the competition throughout the season, allowing him to break records that will be very difficult to achieve in the future.

Philippe Folgado // Photo credit: JOHN THYS / AFP 17:47 p.m., November 27, 2023

But where will Max Verstappen stop? By winning the 22nd and final Grand Prix of this 2023 Formula 1 season, the Dutchman concluded an exceptional 2023, as he was dominant throughout the season, crushing all competition. At the wheel of a single-seater designed by the greatest engineer in the history of the discipline, Adrian Newey, Max Verstappen has broken and set records that will be, in the future, very difficult to beat, if not equal. Europe 1 takes stock of 2023, a historic year for Formula 1.

19 wins in 22 races

Max Verstappen's victory at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday was his 19th victory in a year that included 22 Grand Prix. The Batavian beat his own record for wins from last season (15). He scored a winning percentage of 86.36% over the season, which is unprecedented in the history of Formula 1. It easily beats the previous record, 71 years old, held by Italian world champion Alberto Ascari, who had a 75% win ratio per Grand Prix contested in the year... 1952.

In 2023, Max Verstappen reached 54 career victories, surpassing legends of the discipline such as Ayrton Senna (41 wins), "The Professor" Alain Prost (51) and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel (53). Red Bull's flagship driver is now third in the list of drivers who have won the most races in motorsport's premier class, behind Michael Schumacher (91) and Britain's Lewis Hamilton and his 103 victories.

How high will @Max33Verstappen climb?

He's won 34 races in the past two seasons alone! #F1pic.twitter.com/HjTHDCzcSA

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2023

10 consecutive wins

After the first four races of the season, Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Pérez have each won two Grands Prix. The Dutchman won the opening round in Bahrain as well as in Australia. The Mexican won in Saudi Arabia and on the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan. Everyone imagined that a fight for the world championship title was gradually taking shape between the two Red Bull drivers.

This hope was quickly dashed by Max Verstappen who won the next 10 races: from the Miami Grand Prix to the Monza Grand Prix, dashing Sergio Pérez's hopes of a world crown. His winning streak was halted by Carlos Sainz in Singapore. The only one of the season signed by a driver from a team other than Red Bull, Ferrari in this case.

With this performance, the Dutchman broke the record of Sebastian Vettel, who had won nine races in a row between the Belgian and Brazilian Grands Prix in the 2013 season.

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1,003 laps at the front of the race

This season, all the drivers of the ten teams competing in the Formula 1 World Championship had 1,325 laps to complete in 22 Grand Prix. Max Verstappen alone completed 75.70% of the laps leading the race, or 1,003 laps. The previous record was set by, once again, Sebastian Vettel, in the 2011 season. He had led 739 laps out of 1,133, which was still 65.23% of the season's laps.

Max Verstappen thus becomes the first driver to exceed the 1,000-lap mark, a record made possible by the increase in the number of Grands Prix in recent years.

575 points in the drivers' standings

With 19 victories, 21 podiums, 5 victories in the Sprint races (a 100km race format that takes place on Saturdays during 5 Grand Prix weekends and which awards 8 points to the winner), the Batavian becomes the first driver in history to exceed the symbolic 500-point mark in the drivers' standings. He scored a total of 575 points in 2023. He beats his own record from the 2022 season which was 454.

FINAL DRIVER STANDINGS #F1#AbuDhabiGPpic.twitter.com/oPHYepVbJi

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 26, 2023

For example, Mercedes' two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, scored 409 points, finishing second in the constructors' championship. Which means that with the Dutchman's only points scored, Red Bull have won both the drivers' and constructors' titles this season.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS @MercedesAMGF1 confirmed as runners-up#F1#AbuDhabiGPpic.twitter.com/z335Iy3Ve6

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 26, 2023

3 World Championship titles

Admittedly, it is not a record, but since October 8, 2023, after the Sprint race of the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has won, for the third year in a row, the title of Formula 1 World Champion, with six races to go in the championship. A new crown that allows him to become equal to Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. Names that culminate in the F1 pantheon.

At just 26 years of age, Max Verstappen has once again proven that he is one of the greatest F1 drivers in history. But the race for records is far from over, it even resumes in 96 days, on the evening of the first Grand Prix of the 2024 season, in Bahrain.