Max Verstappen is currently enjoying an era of dominance unlike ever seen before in F1. His team Red Bull has won all 12 races so far this season, with him getting 10 of those victories. However, he made a bold claim during a conversation with Channel 4’s Steve Jones. When the topic of Red Bull’s domination came forth, the current world champion insisted that the current era of racing is closer in competition than the Michael Schumacher era.
From 2000 to 2004, Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher won five consecutive world championships titles. Regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history, the German won seven world titles, taking 91 Grand Prix wins in progress. 2002 was arguably his most dominant year, with Schumacher finishing in the top three in every single race. He won 11 races that year, on his way to a third successive title with Ferrari. By the looks of it, Verstappen may reciprocate the feat with ease this season.
Having recorded 10 wins in 12 races this season, Verstappen’s performances could easily edge out any driver’s dominant era, but the 25-year-old still believes today’s racing is much closer than before.
Max Verstappen says racing today is closer than the Schumacher’s era
When Steve Jones posed the question about him being seemingly unbeatable in the eyes of the fans, Verstappen reacted with incredible maturity and efficiently handled the question. The 25-year-old spoke about how there are only a few rare seasons when several teams fight for the championship. He also mentioned that they were trying to bring the sport closer in terms of competition.
“I do think, you know, if you compare it to like, 20 years ago, it is already, a lot closer.”
Last season, Verstappen overtook Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to set the record for most wins in a single F1 season. The Red Bull driver emerged victorious in 15 out of 22 Grands Prix in 2022. The previous record was jointly held by Schumacher and Vettel, who each won 13 races in a single season. Now, Verstappen seems to be on course to breaking his record in this campaign. He already has 10 wins, and with 10 more races to go, it seems more than likely that he will achieve this feat.
Red Bull and Verstappen on the verge of unprecedented records
After 12 races in the 2023 championship, Red Bull is clear at the top of the constructors’ championship standings with 12 wins under their belt. Plus, there are talks of them continuing with their incredible run once the summer break ends. Given their unmatched performance, there is a strong belief in the F1 world that Red Bull might win all the remaining races, achieving something no team ever has.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE 2023 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX FOR HIS 8TH CONSECUTIVE WIN THIS SEASON
This man can just not stop winning 😭
A neat 1-2 for the team to top it off!#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/38Ko9Ho979— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 30, 2023
What’s more, Verstappen could also break Vettel’s record of nine consecutive wins in a season if he wins the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix. Nevertheless, the Red Bull Driver has already etched his name in history, having broken multiple records at the young age of 25. Verstappen has little to worry about while enjoying his own era of domination, much like Schumacher, Hamilton, and Vettel did.
