Record after record smashed: this is how dominant Verstappen was in 2023
General
- Ludo van Denderen
Max Verstappen does not have a holiday for now: the 2023 champion is flying to Japan due to commitments with sponsor Honda. Still, the Red Bull Racing driver will not set any more new records. He has also done more than enough of that during the year. His main achievements are here.
The best way to sum up Verstappen's dominance is in the number of points he has scored. In a perfect season, with 22 wins, 22 fastest laps, six sprint wins, 620 points are up for grabs. Max Verstappen achieved 575 this season, which amounts to 92.7 per cent of the available points, a percentage never before achieved by anyone. Michael Schumacher came closest with 84.7 per cent in 2002.
Most wins in a season
Verstappen won 19 Grand Prix this season (a winning percentage of 86.3 per cent), with his streak from Miami to Monza particularly striking: ten races in a row. In doing so, Verstappen beat his own record. The number of laps the Dutchman led in a Grand Prix was also impressive: no fewer than 1003 (75.7 per cent of the total). At the concluding Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, he was so strong that Verstappen could afford to have a slower strategy to take this record. The old record was held by Jim Clark, who became world champion in 1963 with 71.5 per cent in the lead.
Also notable is Verstappen's huge step up in the list of drivers with the most wins in Formula 1. Meanwhile, the Red Bull Racing driver find themselves in third place on this list, behind Lewis Hamilton (103 wins) and Michael Schumacher (91).
Finally, some achievements that Verstappen has managed to achieve:
- Most podiums in a season (21)
- Most wins from pole in a season (12)
- Most consecutive wins from pole (16)
- Largest points difference to the number two (290)
- Most hat-tricks in a season (6)
- Most races still to go when capturing championship (6)
- Highest points average per race (13.98)