It was only a matter of time for Max Verstappen to win this year’s Formula 1 drivers’ championship, and his overwhelming dominance this season has now been rewarded.
The Dutchman is the latest to have three titles to his name, joining an illustrious list including Juan Manuel Fangio, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
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Records for Verstappen
Verstappen was the youngest driver to make his debut in F1 history. At the age of 17 years and 166 days, the Dutchman had a great performance in Australia, but an engine failure prevented him from scoring his first points.
Two weeks later, he did so in Sepang. That season, Verstappen scored 49 points, although it was a far cry from the best rookie season, Hamilton‘s 2007 season at McLaren.
Since then, the Dutchman has become the youngest driver to win a race (Barcelona 2018) and a Grand Slam (Austria 2021).
After his title in Abu Dhabi 2021, no one has managed to come close to Verstappen‘s level, who has 28 wins out of a possible 37, an overwhelming 71 percent of victories in just two seasons.
Part of the responsibility for these figures lies with the car, but the performance gap to Checo Perez has begun to tip the balance towards the Dutchman putting Red Bull one step ahead, rather than the other way around.
The biggest gap in history between runner-up and champion is 155 points, between Vettel and Fernando Alonso (2013). Right now, Verstappen leads the Mexican by 177 points with six races to go.
Verstappen is also the fifth driver with the most wins in history (48), while no one has ever won more consecutive victories (10) in history, a record set this year at Monza.
He also owns the record for a season overall, with 15 wins, although he will surely break it again this season.
Verstappen ve la bandera a cuadros del GP de Japón.
The change of regulations works in Verstappen’s favour
Red Bull and Verstappen‘s dominance looks set to continue, at least until the new regulations change.
The 2026 season looks set to be key, although this ‘miracle season’ is expected to be the exception that proves the rule. The future is not set in stone.
If Verstappen‘s sovereignty continues over the next few seasons, the Dutchman has it within his grasp to become the most successful driver of all time, as four titles and 55 victories separate him from those accomplishments.
At the current rate, the Dutchman would enter the new regulations with almost 90 career victories.
A question of feeling
Whether or not you like it or not, labelling any athlete as “the greatest of all time” is a matter of feeling.
If the decision were to be made on the basis of each driver’s trophy cabinet, there would be no debate, but sport is about more than that. It is not an electoral system or a referendum.
The era experienced, the rivals, the similarities and differences, and even luck make it impossible to designate someone as “the best ever” in a totally fair way.
“He will become the greatest driver of all time, as long as, hopefully, he stays safe and in good shape for a long time to come,” said Eddie Jordan.
It’s true that with this three-time championship, the Dutchman has indeed made it into the list of drivers who can be considered as such.
Is he the best in history? Time will give clarity to a question to which, until Verstappen hangs up his helmet, there is no answer.
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