All good things must come to an end, and so it is for Max Verstappen following the mayhem that occurred in a remarkable season-opening grand prix in Australia. Verstappen went into the race at Melbourne's Albert Park on the back of an astonishing record, namely, he had never been headed in the drivers' standings since taking over the top spot at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, a run of 1,029 days. The four-time F1 champion won the first race of 2023 in Bahrain and was never deposed. He repeated the feat last year, and again, he stayed out in front for the remainder of the campaign. On November 3 last year, Verstappen broke the record for the longest stint as championship leader previously held by seven-time champion Michael Schumacher. Schumacher's feat of 896 consecutive days span from the 2000 United States Grand Prix through to the 2003 Australian Grand Prix. Finishing fourth in that race brought his run to a close. Just a month ago, Verstappen became the first driver in F1 history to break the magical 1,000-day barrier. But 22 years after Schumacher's feat ended in Australia, the same fate has befallen Verstappen. Verstappen came within a second of stretching the record, falling 0.895s shy of McLaren's race-winner Lando Norris at the chequered flag. It is an incredible record. Will it ever be beaten?
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