F1 News: Max Verstappen Inches Closer To Lewis Hamilton Record Amid Insane Dominance
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has been on a record-breaking spree since he broke around 18 records this year alone. Now though, stats reveal that he is set to break a record held by seven-time-world champion Lewis Hamilton for the most number of consecutive points finishes in Formula 1.
The Red Bull driver displayed such dominance throughout the 2023 season that probably no F1 driver has ever displayed. Winning 19 out of the 22 Grands Prix, he broke his own record for most wins in a Formula 1 season, finishing 290 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in second.
Despite having the same car, Perez was unable to get anywhere near his teammate as he won just two races of the campaign. Among all the records Verstappen broke, a few noteworthy ones include the record for the highest percentage of wins in a season, the record for most wins in a season, the most consecutive wins in a season, the most wins from pole position in a season, most points in a season, and several others.
Now though, it appears as if he would break Hamilton's record very soon. The Mercedes driver finished within points from the 2018 British Grand Prix to the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, which totals up to 48 races. The streak eventually ended after he tested positive for Covid-19, which prevented him from racing in the subsequent Grand Prix.
Currently, Verstappen's total stands at 41, commencing from the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. This implies that the three-time world champion must secure points in the next 7 Grand Prix to match Hamilton's record. To beat it, he needs to finish within points for at least the initial eight races of 2024. Judging by the Red Bull driver's performance in 2023, achieving this target doesn't appear overly challenging.
After all, Verstappen has finished within the top ten positions in every Grand Prix since 2022, and out of those, only four did not result in podium finishes.
