An unforgettable victory for Max Verstappen at the circuit where his winning streak began in 2016

Where does Max Verstappen stand when it comes to the question of who is the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time? As a 25-year-old Dutchman The greatest of all time Or wants to be, he still has a long way to go. But with his fortieth victory at the Barcelona circuit, he is on the right track. This puts Verstappen in sixth and has to put up with Ayrton Senna (41 wins), Alain Prost (51), Sebastian Vettel (53), Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103).

Verstappen will be out of reach this season. The Red Bull driver scored a huge win in Barcelona. It was one of his easiest victories in the nine seasons he played actively in Formula 1. Verstappen has already won five of seven races this season. And with that, after less than a third of a total of 22 Grands Prix this season, he is on course for his third consecutive world title. This would put him level with Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, ​​Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. Here Verstappen still trails Prost (4 world titles), Vettel (4), Juan Manuel Fangio (5), Michael Schumacher (7) and Lewis Hamilton (7).

The statistics behind Max Verstappen’s forty Grand Prix victories.
Graphic NRC

Verstappen retired in his first race for Toro Rosso on March 15, 2015 at the Australian Grand Prix. But at the time he set the record for being the youngest driver to debut in Formula 1. Verstappen will not fail so easily, as the FIA ​​rules no longer allow minors to compete in Formula 1. At the age of eighteen, he scored his first win as a Red Bull driver on May 15, 2016 in Barcelona. As the first Dutchman. Before that, his father Jos Verstappen was the most successful driver from the Netherlands with two podium finishes and 17 World Cup points.

In the early years of his career, Verstappen was constantly forced out of Hamilton’s Mercedes in the battle for the world championship. In December 2020 in Abu Dhabi at the age of 23 he took his tenth victory. A year later, Verstappen won his twentieth Grand Prix in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It was the most important achievement of his career. Verstappen passed his best rival Hamilton on the last lap to collect enough points for his first world championship. Verstappen became the first champion with a Honda engine since Senna in 1991. At 24 years and 73 days, Verstappen became the fourth-youngest world champion in Formula 1 – Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso were the youngest when they first won the top stuff. Verstappen chose 1st place in his car and recorded fifteen wins last season to secure the title.

A class apart

Verstappen is aiming for more wins in a year this season. So far he has only had to leave his teammate Sergio Perez twice. Verstappen finished his 170th race at Barcelona and was allowed to start from pole position for the 24th time. Verstappen ruled the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit for three consecutive days. He was once again in a class during practice and qualifying on a 4.6 kilometer lap with sixteen corners. Verstappen took pole position in Barcelona for the first time in his career.

Verstappen led the entire race for 66 laps. He drove the fastest lap of all and earned an extra point. Along with the ‘pole’ and victory, it is called the Grand Slam in Formula 1, the third time in his career. His pit stop after 27 laps to switch his ‘medium’ tires to ‘hard’ tires was also a quick one. So often this season, the Spanish Grand Prix has been left behind The Flying Dutchman A battle for the podium. For the first time this season, Mercedes were able to claim the title. Verstappen’s old rival Hamilton finished second, 24 seconds ahead of compatriot George Russell. The two Brits were allowed to ask Wilhelms for the fortieth time behind a satisfied Verstappen. Opportunity at the end of the season God save the king The sound is zero.

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