After a remarkable 4th World Championship for Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in 2013, a new dawn blossomed for the Formula 1 rules (and engines) and behind this veil of change, was a period many F1 fans never anticipated. It was an era many would never have predicted — not even in their wildest of imaginations, as the change had the world of F1 ushered into a period of sustained Mercedes AMG and Lewis Hamilton dominance.
The Formula 1 saga continued to unfold, 2021 looked like that year Lewis Hamilton would eventually break the record for the most F1 championships won — seven. Propelling him to undisputed GOAT status within the sport.
It was business as usual for Lewis Hamilton when the 2021 F1 season kicked off in Bahrain as he raced into a smooth victory ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and then teammate Valtteri Bottas. Such was the high-flying start of Hamilton, that he already had a commanding points gap to nearest challenger Max Verstappen after just four races, with the Brit claiming maximum points in three of the first four races.
Tides shifted on the street circuit in Monte-Carlo as the Red Bull team really showed their ‘wings’. What followed was a streak of five victories for Red Bull racing.Events at the prestigious Silverstone Grand Prix set a fiery tone for what would be an enthralling battle between Hamilton and Verstappen. The former ended the day victorious, but the race was scarred by the incident at turn nine that will forever go down as one of F1’s most controversial races.
Fast-forwarding to the end of the 2021 season, the climax of the Championship battle saw both drivers (Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton) leave it all out on the track including key battles and clashes like Austin and Inter-Lagos, with the fate of the season coming down to the final lap in the concluding Grand Prix at Abu-Dhabi.A mishap by then-Formula 1 race director Michael Masi, alongside a series of controversial decisions, enabled Max Verstappen to capitalize and seal his maiden Championship in dramatic fashion.
THE DOMINANCE OF 2022:
In light of all the scrutiny following his Championship triumph in 2021, Verstappen ensured that all critics of his 2021 championship win, “ate their words” with his ceaseless, jaw-dropping performances all through the 2022 season,
To think that the Dutch driver started out the campaign with only one finish in the first three races makes his season’s feats even more admirable. Verstappen has dominated the circuit this season, winning the driver’s championship with (three races to spare). He also amassed a total of 454 points- 146 more than his closest challenger Charles Leclerc who finished 2nd)
His stellar season has drawn parallels with Michael Schumacher’s prime years, notably the 2004 campaign.
For context, the German F1 legend won 12 out of the first 13 races of the season, with the exception being the street circuit of Monaco, where he was forced to retire due to a collision. Schumacher ended the year with 13 wins out of a possible 18 races available and a 72.2% winning percentage for the year. He had an average finishing position of 2.12 and scored an adjusted 367 points, compared to his teammate and second-place finisher Barrichello with 271.
For Verstappen, albeit ending the campaign with a lower winning percentage than Schumacher (68.2%), he surpassed the German’s points tally from 2004 and eventually finished a whopping 214 points ahead of his underperforming rival from Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton.
Moreover, the Dutchman’s stellar season saw him surpass the record for the most race wins in a single Formula 1 season (13) previously held by outgoing Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel and seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher, as he finished the season with a record 15 race victories, with the record-breaking and record-extending victories coming in the Mexico (October 2022) and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (November 2022) respectively. This is a noteworthy feat considering his rival Hamilton, particularly during his and Mercedes’ commanding spell of dominance between 2014-2020, never attained more than 11 wins in a single season.
It must be mentioned that a driver is only as good as his car/team dynamics. Aside from Verstappen’s individual accomplishments, Red Bull successfully adapted and capitalized on the change of F1 cars, reclaiming the Constructors Championship prize- a title that appeared elusive since 2013. Now with 34 race wins and two world titles as he enters his prime years, the sky’s the limit for the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 race. Debates are beginning to circulate regarding Verstappen’s capability of leveling, talking less of eclipsing Hamilton and Schumacher’s joint record of championship wins. On current form, the more appropriate question may be, who says he can’t?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: 2022 STATISTICS
Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
Events: | 22 |
Championship result: | 1st |
Best race result: | 1st |
Wins: | 15 |
Pole positions: | 7 |
Points: | 454 |
DNFs: | 1 |
Teammate: | Sergio Pérez (add to comparison) |
Average finish position: | 2.81 |
Average grid position: | 3.41 |
Rounds & Event | Position | Points | |
1 | Bahrain Grand Prix | 19 | 0 |
2 | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
3 | Australian Grand Prix DNF | DNF | 0 |
4 | Emilia Romagna Grand Prix | 1 | 26 |
5 | Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (sprint race) | 1 | 8 |
6 | Miami Grand Prix | 1 | 26 |
7 | Spanish Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
8 | Monaco Grand Prix | 3 | 15 |
9 | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
10 | Canadian Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
11. | British Grand Prix | 7 | 6 |
12 | Austrian Grand Prix | 2 | 19 |
13 | Austrian Grand Prix (sprint race) | 1 | 8 |
14 | French Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
15 | Hungarian Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
16 | Belgian Grand Prix | 1 | 26 |
17 | Dutch Grand Prix | 1 | 26 |
18 | Italian Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
19 | Singapore Grand Prix | 7 | 6 |
20 | Japanese Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
21 | United States Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
22 | Mexico City Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
23 | Brazilian Grand Prix | 6 | 8 |
24 | Brazilian Grand Prix (sprint race) | 4 | 5 |
25 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | 1 | 25 |
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