With his victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen continued his season of incredible dominance by winning his tenth straight race.
Sebastian Vettel, who previously competed for Red Bull Racing and won four world championships, set the previous record of nine victories in a succession ten years ago. Verstappen smashed it while driving for the team.
Another triumph! Verstappen commented on his team radio after claiming the checkered flag, “And a beautiful one too as well. That is a fantastic statistic.
In an interview following the race, he further stated, “I never would have dreamed that was possible. But since we had to work for it today, it was undoubtedly much more enjoyable.
Verstappen, 25, who won his native race in the Netherlands last week to equal Vettel’s record, is on track to capture his third world title this year.
Three Formula 1 drivers, Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher, and Nico Rosberg, are listed after Verstappen and Vettel as having won seven consecutive races.
Verstappen’s victory on Sunday was not simple. Verstappen started the race in second place behind Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who won the pole position at his team’s home race & delighted the Tifosi by fending off Verstappen’s early attempts to challenge his advantage on the circuit. Finally, on lap 15, Verstappen passed him.
This season, Verstappen has won 12 of the 14 races, with Sergio Perez taking the other two victories for his Red Bull Racing squad. In a Formula 1 season, no one team has ever won every race.
On Sunday, Perez came in second, and Sainz outlasted fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to finish third.
Verstappen’s accomplishment was attempted to be minimized prior to the race by Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion and five-race winning streak.
Hamilton said on Sky F1 that he is “no more impressed” by Verstappen’s accomplishment than he is by that of other champions like Schumacher, Vettel, and Fernando Alonso. “All my teammates have been stronger,” Hamilton continued, “than the teammates Max has had.”
Verstappen claimed prior to the race in Monza that he wasn’t affected by Hamilton’s jab, despite the fact that Verstappen ultimately prevailed in a thrilling championship race on the final lap of the 2021 season.
Verstappen joked with Dutch reporters, “Maybe he’s a little jealous of my current success,” according to RacingNews365.
He may believe that he is winning something by making statements of this nature, but to him, it is meaningless. Mercedes, who has won so much over the years, “I think have a very hard time dealing with losing.”