What records can Max Verstappen break this season?

The 2022 season seemed to be starting on the rails of a mano a mano between Ferrari et Red Bull on the one hand, Charles Leclerc et Max Verstappen in the tub. But very quickly, the trend quickly turned in favor of the second city, which is now the undisputed leader of the championship of Formula 1, and a double world champion in the making. In an exercise which now looks more like a solitary raid than a fierce fight between two protagonists, Max Verstappen can break a certain number of records which will definitively confirm his season as one of the most successful in the history of the discipline. We take stock.

Records for points, victories and advances…

Obviously, the most obvious of all the records that Max Verstappen can achieve is that of the greatest number of victories during a season. The Red Bull driver has already increased his number to 11 after his victories at Monza, including the last 5 in a row. He is now only two small successes away from this feat, co-owned by Michael Schumacher (2004) et Sebastian Vettel (2013). With six Grands Prix still to go, Verstappen has all the makings of a future record holder. And if he wants to silence the most skeptical arguing about the ever-increasing number of races contested per season, he could win in Singapore then in Japan in order to equal Schumacher's record in as many rounds (13 victories in 18 Grand Prix).

Since a Grand Prix victory is worth 25 points (since 2010), the points gap between the world champion and his first pursuer have virtually disappeared. In 2013, Sebastian Vettel ultimately had a 155-point lead over his first rival, who was none other than Fernando Alonso – and Ferrari already, winning nine times in the last nine Grands Prix. The Dutchman currently has a comfortable mattress 116 points ahead of Charles Leclerc. At this rate (Leclerc has only signed 2 podiums in the last 5 races), the 200 point mark could quickly fall.

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“It’s incredible what we are experiencing within the team, said Verstappen on the sidelines of the Italian Grand Prix, surely aware of the luck and grace that affects Red Bull this season. We have an incredible year and it's important to enjoy it too […] The car seems to work on every type of track. »

At the same time, Max Verstappen could seize the record for the most points scored in a season. Obviously, this mark is largely facilitated by the accumulation of Grands Prix during a season (22 in 2022, 23 in 2023), the allocation of points during sprint races or the 25 units allocated to a victory from now on. But nevertheless, this record has been held since 2019 by Lewis Hamilton (413), during a year which still included 21 Grands Prix. If Verstappen wants to seize it – he who is currently at 335 points, he only needs to score barely more than half of the points that still remain to be distributed. In the event of a perfect course, the Red Bull driver could even get close to the 500 points mark (499 maximum).

Obviously, the season we are currently witnessing will be one of the most successful in the history of F1, and will obviously recall the periods of domination of Lewis Hamilton recently, or of Sebastian Vettel to refocus the subject on Red Bull. “We want to win more as a team. » Precisely, Verstappen and his five consecutive victories could also beat the record for consecutive victories (9) held by the German since 2013 and Giuseppe Farina in 1952. Enough to definitively establish his mark on this 2022 championship.

1️⃣1️⃣ victories in 2022 for @Max33Verstappen 💪 #GivesYouWings pic.twitter.com/cFU8O2slmm

- Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 11, 2022