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Max Verstappen – Some crazy records set so far
Dutch Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, who is celebrating his 27th birthday today, has built a Formula 1 career that is nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment he stepped onto the F1 scene at just 17, becoming the youngest driver to ever compete in a Grand Prix, it was clear that Verstappen was set to rewrite the record books. In 2016, at the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen made history by becoming the youngest-ever F1 race winner at just 18 years and 228 days old. By the time he was 19, he had already claimed another title as the youngest driver to set the fastest lap, a feat he accomplished during the rain-soaked 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix. Securing pole position, leading every lap, winning the race, and setting the fastest lap, Verstappen became the youngest driver to pull off this rare feat at just 23 years and 277 days. That year also saw him lift his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, making him the first from the Netherlands to do so. But the 2023 season cemented Verstappen’s legacy even further. In what was one of the most dominant seasons ever by any Formula 1 driver ever, he clinched 19 race victories out of 22, setting a new record for the most wins in a single season. His consistency was on full display, finishing on the podium 21 times throughout the year—another record. How Lenovo made the world’s first Kiss Activated F1 trophy | TOI Auto Verstappen not only broke his own records from previous seasons but obliterated long-standing ones, like Sebastian Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins, with Verstappen taking 10 in a row. With 575 points accumulated in 2023, he also set the bar for the most points ever scored in a single season.
Perhaps one of his most memorable achievements came in 2021, when Verstappen completed a “grand slam” at the Austrian Grand Prix. Over the years, he has not only fulfilled that promise but has gone beyond, smashing records with a relentless drive and consistency that has left even seasoned F1 fans in awe. That victory marked the start of an incredible career.