Max Verstappen won the Formula One World Championship for the second consecutive year by winning the “Episode” Suzuki Grand Prix, Japan. And almost immediately after the related celebrations, sports fans began to compare the young Dutchman with the best racers of all time.
Looking back at Formula One historical data, the editors of the French newspaper L’Equipe found that there are 17 drivers with at least two world titles. And they decided to compare the 25-year-old Verstappen’s performance and presence to six of the best drivers in history, namely Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Despite coming to F1 very young (at just 17 years old), Verstappen is not the youngest double world champion, nor was he the youngest world champion. And that’s because Vettel… ahead of him by several months (24 years and 98 days versus 25 years and nine days).
Regarding the age of the world champions when they won the title for the second time, the figures are as follows:
Sebastian Vettelafter 2011 Japanese Grand Prix: 24 years and 98 days
Max Verstappenafter 2022 Japanese Grand Prix: 25 years and nine days
Fernando Alonsoafter 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix: 25 years, two months and 24 days
Michael Schumacherafter Pacific GP 1995: 26 years, nine months and 19 days
Lewis Hamiltonafter 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: 29 years, ten months and 16 days
Ayrton Sennaafter 1990 Japanese Grand Prix: 30 years and seven months
Alain Prostsince 1986 Australian Grand Prix: 31 years, eight months and two days
Surprisingly, given his young age when he joined F1, it took Verstappen longer than most drivers to win his two world titles. It is significant that the Dutch “pilot” took part in 159 Grand Prix, that is, more than twice as many as Vettel. The obvious reason for this phenomenon is the dominance of Mercedes since the introduction of the hybrid era in 2014, as well as ever longer Grand Prix seasons (including 22 races in 2021 and 2022, compared to 15 in 1995, when Schumacher took his second title). , or 16 in 1986 when Prost won his second title).
Source: RES – OIE
Source: Kathimerini
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.