With a 93-point lead in the standings and 8 races remaining, Verstappen is making history

During the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen prevailed over Perez who took second place in the overall standings. With 8 races remaining, the Dutch driver has a 93-point lead over his closest competitor. A substantial lead that should allow him to obtain the ultimate goal. But with such an advantage, where does he stand compared to previous world champions?

The points scales having changed, we cannot really compare the points difference of this year with those of previous years under different scales. It is from 2010 onwards that the scale changed and is more or less similar to today’s. The number of Grand Prix is also no longer the same.

The biggest gaps at the end of the season

In the 2010s, some seasons ended with significant gaps between the 1st and 2nd place. It was actually during those years that the largest gaps were recorded. There were 3 seasons where the 1st place team had a difference of over 100 points with their runner-up.

The 3 seasons are those of 2011, 2020, and 2013. The respective gaps were then 122 points, 124 points, and 155 points. But how many points were there between the 1st and 2nd place with 8 races left?

The biggest differences in the 8 Grand Prixs at the end.

During the 2011 season, driver Sebastian Vettel won the world championship. At the end of the season, Vettel had a lead of 122 points over the second-place driver, Jenson Button. However, with 8 races remaining, it was Mark Webber who was in second place. He had an 85-point deficit to Vettel, who was untouchable. Button, on the other hand, trailed Vettel by 100 points.

For the year 2020, it was Lewis Hamilton who emerged victorious after a very impressive season. He finished with 347 points while his rival, Valtteri Bottas, only finished with 223 points, trailing behind by 124 points. This time, with 8 races to go, Bottas was also in second place. Hamilton had a 55-point advantage at that time.

In 2013, Sebastian Vettel won his 4th consecutive world championship. After a sensational season in which he won the last 9 Grand Prix races, he finished with a 155-point lead over Fernando Alonso. The largest point gap to date. The German driver had a 46-point lead over the second-place driver with 8 Grand Prix races remaining. Not such a significant difference compared to the end of the championship.

With his 93-point lead over Perez, Verstappen has the biggest point difference in history with 8 races remaining. If he continues on this trajectory, he could become the champion with the largest lead in a season, essentially crushing the championship.