Memorable victory for Max Verstappen on the circuit where his triumphant journey started in 2016

Where does Max Verstappen stand when it comes to the question of who is the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time? As the 25-year-old Dutchman The Greatest of All Time or wants to be, he still has a long way to go. But with his fortieth victory at the Barcelona circuit, he is on the right track. This puts Verstappen in sixth place and Ayrton Senna (41 victories), Alain Prost (51), Sebastian Vettel (53), Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103) have to tolerate.

Verstappen is now unapproachable this season. The Red Bull driver triumphed in Barcelona in a grand way. It was one of his easiest victories in the nine seasons he has been active in Formula 1. Verstappen has already won five of the seven races this season. And with that, after less than a third of a total of 23 grands prix this season, he is on course for his third world title in a row. This would put him on a level with Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, ​​Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. Here Verstappen is still behind Prost (4 world titles), Vettel (4), Juan Manuel Fangio (5), Michael Schumacher (7) and Lewis Hamilton (7).

Verstappen retired on March 15, 2015 during his first race in his Toro Rosso during the Australian Grand Prix. But at the time he did set the record of the youngest driver ever to make his debut in Formula 1. Verstappen will not lose that easily, because under the rules of the FIA ​​minors are no longer allowed to participate in Formula 1. At the age of eighteen he won his first victory as a Red Bull driver on May 15, 2016 in Barcelona. As the first Dutchman ever. Before that, his father Jos Verstappen was the most successful driver from the Netherlands with two podium finishes and 17 World Cup points.

In the early years of his career, Verstappen constantly had to leave Hamilton’s Mercedes ahead of him in the battle for the world championship. He ‘only’ achieved his tenth victory at the age of 23, in Abu Dhabi in December 2020. A year later, Verstappen won his twentieth grand prix in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It was the most important win of his career. Verstappen passed his great rival Hamilton on the last lap and thus collected enough points for his first world championship. Verstappen became the first champion with a Honda engine since Senna in 1991. At 24 years and 73 days old, Verstappen became the fourth-youngest world champion ever in Formula 1 – Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso were younger when they first won the top goods. Verstappen opted for the number 1 on his car and consolidated the title last season with a record fifteen wins.

A class apart

Verstappen plans to achieve even more victories in one year this season. So far he only had to leave his teammate Sergio Pérez twice. Verstappen completed his 170th race in Barcelona and was allowed to start from pole position for the 24th time. Verstappen ruled the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit for three consecutive days. On the 4.6 kilometer lap with sixteen corners, he was once again in a class of his own during practice and qualifying. Verstappen took pole position in Barcelona for the first time in his career.

Verstappen led the entire race of 66 laps. He also drove the fastest lap of them all, earning an extra point. In combination with ‘pole’ and the victory, this is called a grand slam in Formula 1, it is the third in his career. Even his pit stop, where he exchanged his ‘medium’ tires for ‘hard’ tires after 27 laps, was one of the fastest. As so often this season, the Grand Prix of Spain was also behind The Flying Dutchman a battle for the podium. For the first time this season, the Mercedes team was able to claim it. Verstappen’s old rival Hamilton finished second in 24 seconds ahead of his compatriot George Russell. The two Brits were allowed to listen to the Wilhelmus for the fortieth time next to a satisfied Verstappen. The chance that at the end of the season God Save the King sound is nil.