Max Verstappen broke a long-standing record for most wins by a driver in a season. The Dutchman claimed his 14th win after securing a victory in the 2022 Mexican GP. This meant Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record of 13 wins in a season is finally broken after 18 seasons.
The closest someone came to breaking Michael’s record was Sebastian Vettel in 2013. Vettel amassed 13 wins on his way to claiming his 4th championship. But Max topped the two world Champions setting the bar higher.
Verstappen is just 25 years old. The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until the 2028 season and that means we could witness Verstappen-Red Bull dominance for a while. And according to some, it could be on par with Schumacher’s spell at Ferrari.
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Max Verstappen breaks Michael Schumacher’s record
Max Verstappen recently matched Fernando Alonso’s win record after claiming his 32nd win in COTA. The 2022 Champion is still a long way from Michael Schumacher’s 91 wins or 7 titles but has shown signs that he can get there too.
But nevertheless, Verstappen has achievement speaks volumes. Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel claimed, “Compared to Schumacher’s era, the competition is much stronger this year.”
Schumacher claimed 13 wins in 18 races for Ferrari as he lifted his 7th and last F1 title. He had a win percentage of 72%. Max’s current win percentage is 70% but the Dutchman can beat Schumi’s win rate if he claims victories in the remaining races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
He added, “Initially, Schumacher’s teammate was always there to assist him. Rubens Barrichello was unmistakably the No.2 driver. This is not the situation. If Perez takes the lead, he leaves him unfinished.”
Verstappen was asked if he would let his teammate Sergio Perez pass him on the last lap of the Mexican GP. To which he said no. The Dutchman claimed he is hungry for wins and would not give in easily.
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Coronel highlights Michael Schumacher’s weaknesses
Tom Coronel believes Max has gotten better through the ages. But has developed into a more complete driver than Michael Schumacher. He said, “Like Schumacher, Max has something that makes him better under all circumstances.”
Coronel added, “In order to win races, Schumacher occasionally drove wild. He struggled with anxiety, let the vehicle stall on the starting grid, and we witnessed fierce overtakes.”
Schumacher controversially collided with Damon Hill in a ‘Kamikaze’ style incident to claim the 1995 Championship. Coronel however believes Max is calmer and has a car made to match his ambitions.
He added, “Naturally, Max experienced some stressful moments last year as well, and occasionally, he lost his composure. Max, though, has the potential to break all records, but you’ll need some luck with the automobile for that.”
Max too had a reputation for being a brash and aggressive driver during his earlier years with Red Bull. But there is no doubt that he is one of the best drivers in the current F1 grid and could stay so for a while.
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