When Formula 1 introduced the Sprint Race concept back in 2021, Max Verstappen was one of the most vocal critics of the idea, since he wasn’t in favor of having to prepare for more races. However, the Dutchman is the only driver to hold a superior record in these events.
After today’s US GP Sprint Race win for the Red Bull driver, he has taken his dominance in these outings to another level. In terms of Sprint Poles, the Dutchman has nine as compared to all the other drivers who share seven between themselves.
His victory at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) marked his sixth consecutive Sprint Race win, bringing his total to 11. In contrast, the other drivers on the grid share only five wins among themselves.
Max Verstappen career stats in the sprint.
Sprint poles
Verstappen – 9 (56%)
All other drivers – 7Sprint wins
Verstappen – 11 (69%)
All other drivers – 5More sprint poles than everyone else combined & more than double the amount of sprint wins as all other drivers combined. pic.twitter.com/O2g49eQgWV
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) October 19, 2024
That said, Verstappen still isn’t a fan of the Sprint format. In the past, he has been outspoken about how the concept is merely a gimmick used by F1 to attract fans and does not resonate with him from a sporting point of view.
“I just prefer the normal racing format. I think it is more exciting, and especially for qualifying you can go more to the limit as you know more what you’ve done in practice. So it takes away the excitement, from when I remember I was a fan and outside of the F1 world,” he said back in 2023 as per Motorsport.
In terms of the championship battle, however, Verstappen would be thanking the heavens for his win, earlier today. With Lando Norris finishing in P3, the Dutchman has extended his championship lead over the McLaren driver. As things stand, he sits 54 points ahead of Norris.
Going into the Grand Prix tomorrow, Verstappen could stretch his legs even further. The US GP floor upgrade package that Red Bull has brought to COTA has unlocked potential for the RB20 and the 27-year-old could make it two poles in one weekend during Qualifying later today — setting himself up for a shot at victory tomorrow.
