Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are the two most successful current F1 drivers, but it is the latter who is currently enjoying his time in the spotlight.
Max Verstappen will one day surpass Lewis Hamilton’s record of 103 Grand Prix victories, according to Express Sport readers. The reigning world champion moved into third on the all-time list for race wins with his triumph at the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
With his victory at the Yas Marina Circuit, Verstappen’s career race win total increased to 54, putting him one spot ahead of fellow Red Bull legend and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in the rankings.
The Dutchman’s next target is Michael Schumacher, who won seven Drivers’ Championship titles and 91 races overall. The only other centurion in Formula One history, aside from the fabled German, is Hamilton.
Readers of Express Sport were asked if the Red Bull star would eventually eclipse Hamilton’s record of 103 Grand Prix victories before his career ended. A resounding 63% of the 7,471 respondents to the survey expressed confidence that Verstappen will eventually surpass the seven-time world champion at the top of the win charts.
If Verstappen’s level of dominance in 2023 is any indication, Hamilton’s record may face difficulties sooner rather than later. This season, the Dutchman has won an unprecedented 19 Grand Prix races; the other three were split between Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and teammate Sergio Perez.
The fact that Verstappen dominated the Abu Dhabi season finale, winning by less than eighteen seconds over second-place Charles Leclerc, was even more concerning for the pursuing group.
Even after the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton himself pointed out to Red Bull that all of their development efforts had been directed toward the RB19’s replacement, despite the fact that this dominance had been attained.
“I don’t really know at this moment,” Hamilton responded to a question about his chances of competing for the championship in 2019 on Sky Sports F1. “It’s concerning that Red Bull won by 17 seconds considering they haven’t improved their car since August.”
Verstappen will have plenty of chances to add to his record of 54 victories if Red Bull is able to hold onto or even grow their lead over the opposition going into the 2024 season. For the first time in the history of the sport, there will be 24 Grands Prix on the schedule next year.
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