Verstappen domination set to take him past legendary F1 champion

The three-time world champion is eyeing yet more success in Abu Dhabi

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 23 November 2023 09:57

After his enthralling 18th victory of the season at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is eyeing up another historic feat he can achieve at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - as he looks to break into the top three F1 drivers of all-time for career race wins.

The dominant Dutchman can overtake four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel's number of career race victories at the Yas Marina Circuit, which will take him up to a standalone third in the all-time list.

Vettel currently boasts 53 wins after his retirement last season, with Verstappen tied level after storming to victory in Las Vegas.

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Now, the three-time world champion knows that just one more victory will allow him to claim that third spot for himself.

Max Verstappen clinched his third consecutive world championship title earlier this year

Max Verstappen claimed 10 consecutive race victories earlier in 2023, an F1 record

Sebastian Vettel won four world championships in a row at Red Bull

Verstappen almost in GOAT territory

Vettel's dominance in the early 2010s saw him rack up the majority of his race wins, and all four of his world championship titles, within four seasons.

Verstappen has enjoyed an altogether new level of dominance, however, breaking multiple records in both 2022 and 2023 on his way to three consecutive titles.

In fact, he has now won an astonishing 32 of the last 40 grands prix across the last two seasons.

Verstappen will not necessarily be in a hurry to overtake Vettel this season, particularly given the fact he is only 26, but will certainly need to continue this level of dominance long into the future if he wants to catch the top two career race winners in Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Schumacher sits in second on 91 race wins, whilst seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has 103 - though he will hope to extend that figure before calling time on his F1 career.

Stat supplied by Sundaram Ramaswami who can be found on X at @‌f1statsguru.