Max Verstappen’s unparalleled 43-race F1 stretch; Is Carlos Sainz underrated?
New York TimesPrime Tire Newsletter 🏁 | This is The Athletic’s twice-weekly F1 newsletter. I defined “stretch of dominance” as “this guy sure has a lot of ‘1s’ in his ‘finish’ column.” By that highly scientific method, I landed on five other drivers with 43-race stretches similar to Verstappen. Finish Races Finished Max Verstappen 2022-2024 35 39 15 1.6 43 Lewis Hamilton 2014-2017 22 37 12 1.9 40 Nico Rosberg 2014-2016 16 33 11 2.9 39 Sebastian Vettel 2011-2013 20 29 15 2.9 40 Michael Schumacher 2000-2003 26 37 12 1.6 40 Nigel Mansell 1990-1994 16 25 15 2.2 29 A couple of takeaways: Verstappen’s 43-race streak is unparalleled. The other drivers go toe-to-toe with him in podiums, average finish, and fastest laps, but nobody touches Verstappen’s 35 wins in 43 races. “I think the people who know him know what he’s capable of doing, know his effort level, his approach, and dedication to wanting to be one of the best, exactly like he’s proved today and over the last couple of weeks.” His teammate, Leclerc, concurred: “He’s one of the highest-rated drivers in the paddock, and he’s been extremely strong every time he was in a Formula One car.