Max Verstappen enters a very exclusive circle
With his fourth title obtained at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is now one of six men who have won at least four world championships.
Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel. And now, Max Verstappen. This Sunday, November 24, the Dutchman entered this very exclusive circle of drivers who have won at least four titles. A performance that allowed him to tackle Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren.
After the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the American went to congratulate the now four-time world champion. After a hug, the driver number 33, but currently with the 1, said to him: « You said I could only win with the fastest car? » A friendly jab, but fair since the head of the British team had raised tension with this statement a few weeks ago.
On track to equal Michael Schumacher.
Let's dive back into the statistics. If Max Verstappen has made his mark in history with his fourth crown, he has joined an even more exclusive circle. Only five drivers have won at least four titles in a row: Lewis Hamilton (2017-2020), Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1957), Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013). To equal Michael Schumacher's record of five in a row (2000-2004), the Red Bull driver knows what he will have to achieve next year.
By digging a little deeper, we can realize that Max Verstappen has won 62 Grand Prix, placing him third for most wins in F1. However, at the time of winning his fourth crown, Michael Schumacher had 51, Lewis Hamilton 62, Sebastian Vettel 36, and Juan Manuel Fangio 20. Therefore, he is the man with the most victories, tied with the Mercedes driver, upon acquiring this crown.
Far from being the best in terms of precocity
In terms of precocity, Max Verstappen is far from being the best. It took him 207 Grand Prix (number of participations) to obtain these four crowns. One more than Lewis Hamilton (206). The record goes to Juan Manuel Fangio in this exercise (47), but at the time the number of races was much lower. Alain Prost obtained his fourth title after 197 participations, Michael Schumacher needed 157 Grand Prix, and Sebastian Vettel 117.
