Max Verstappen broke record after record last year. With 19 wins from 22 races, he had statistically the most dominant season F1 had seen.
The Dutchman recorded 10 victories in a row en route to a third consecutive Drivers' title as his rivals scrambled to pick up the scraps.
At the age of 26, only Sebastian Vettel has a better record having picked up four titles between 2010 and 2013, though Verstappen has won 16 more races than the German.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton - who share the record of seven titles - are nowhere near Verstappen's statistics. Both drivers only had one world title to their names at the time, though the longevity of their success separate them from the rest.
The statistics show how young Verstappen was when he joined the club of F1's elite.
What can Verstappen still do?
So the question is now regarding what Verstappen will be capable of in the coming years. His contract with Red Bull runs through to 2028 and, with no regulation change until 2026, it isn't out of the question that he will add another two titles at least to his tally.
But what will happen after the rule changes? Will Verstappen remain motivated to keep performing at the highest level? He has made no secret of his dismay at some aspects of the sport, especially Sprint weekends, with rules often changing in the name of entertainment.
For now, his achievements should be commended and below a table shows how Verstappen compares to various F1 legends.
Verstappen vs. other F1 champions at age 26
| Performance | Verstappen | Schumacher | Hamilton | Senna | Vettel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Cup titles | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Wins | 54 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 23 |
| Poles | 32 | 8 | 17 | 14 | 39 |
| GPs | 185 | 57 | 58 | 46 | 120 |
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TMW
It's better to look at the percentage of wins. Verstappen 29.2%; Schumacher22.8%; Hamilton 20.7%; Senna 6.5%; Vettel 19.2%.
MJVerstappen70
Verstappen has won 16 more races than Vettel at age of 26? But then in the table below the article: Verstappen has won 54 races and Vettel 23, how is that a difference of 16? What is correct?
samagon
yeah, it's a bit odd. they are counting him as having 4wdc, and when he had 4wdc, he had 39 wins. after 2013 he didn't get any other wins until 2015, which was well after his 27th birthday.
samagon
wins from a position other than pole. that's impressive.
BeniHana
I don't think this was a fair comparison. With past seasons there were a hell of a lot less races than there is now with a mammoth 22 races.