Lewis Hamilton sent fresh Max Verstappen warning as all-time record under threat
Max Verstappen will one day surpass Lewis Hamilton’s record of 103 Grand Prix victories, according to Express Sport readers. The reigning world champion moved into third on the all-time list for race wins with his triumph at the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen’s victory at the Yas Marina Circuit increased his tally to 54 career race wins, moving him one clear of four-time world champion and fellow Red Bull legend Sebastian Vettel in the rankings.
The next target for the Dutchman is Michael Schumacher, who claimed 91 race victories en route to his seven Drivers’ Championship titles. Only Hamilton stands above the legendary German as the sole centurion in F1 history.
Express Sport readers were asked whether or not the Red Bull star would go on to surpass Hamilton’s current tally of 103 Grand Prix wins before the end of his career. Of the 7,471 who voted in the survey, a decisive 63 per cent believed that Verstappen will eventually move clear of the seven-time world champion at the top of the win charts.
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If the extent of Verstappen’s dominance in 2023 is a sign of things to come then Hamilton’s record could be in trouble sooner than expected. The Dutchman claimed an unprecedented 19 Grand Prix victories this season with the other three wins shared by team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Even more ominous for the chasing pack was the fact that Verstappen dominated the season finale in Abu Dhabi, crossing the line with an advantage of just under 18 seconds to second-placed Charles Leclerc.
This dominance was achieved in spite of the fact that Red Bull shifted their entire development focus to the RB19’s successor after the Singapore Grand Prix, and this was something that Hamilton himself noted after the race.
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“At this moment, I don’t really know,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 when asked about his chances of fighting for the title next year. “For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds and they haven’t developed their car since August is definitely a concern.”
If Red Bull do maintain or even extend their competitive advantage over the rest of the field heading into the 2024 season then there will be ample opportunities for Verstappen to add to his 54-win tally. Next year’s calendar contains 24 Grands Prix for the first time in the sport’s history.
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