No one expected that the RB19 of Max Verstappen would be so dominant this season. Apart from the car’s pack-leading capabilities, with the addition of the flying Dutchman in the driver’s seat, all the ingredients have been in place for a record-breaking season.
Since his first race win back in Bahrain at the start of the 2023 World Drivers’ Championship, the only other drivers to win races were his Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez (Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan), and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. (Singapore).
If he wins this weekend’s Formula 1 finale at Yas Marina Circuit, Verstappen will take his fourth Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory in a row, while setting an all-conquering record of an astonishing 19 wins from a total of 23 races – matching Mercedes’ combined 2016 team record of 19 wins single-handedly.
All while harvesting an incredible 549 points in the World Driver’s Championship and contributing to Red Bull’s 7th Constructor’s title. This will not only be a new all-time record for total race wins in a single season, but would boost his race win percentage to 86.4% – smashing the legendary Alberto Ascari’s 75 per cent total that has remained unbeaten since 1952.
As we approach the milestone 15th edition of the #AbuDhabiGP, a fourth consecutive win on Yas Island would take his Grands Prix win total to 54. He would not only surpass racing legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, but overtake the 53 career wins of German superstar, Sebastien Vettel, putting him in third place on the all-time race winner’s list behind Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91).
When you add up all the numbers, they point to only one outcome: Max Verstappen has been Mr. Unstoppable and the other teams and drivers are going to have to pull something special out of the bag to catch him at Yas Marina Circuit. With Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri just behind Verstappen in Sunday’s grid, the stage is set for a fantastic end to what has been an incredible year so far.
