Lewis Hamilton Bows to ‘Faultless’ Max Verstappen as Red Bull Set to Snatch Mercedes’ Record

Dominance. The 2023 Formula 1 season has become synonymous with the word. And it’s all thanks to the relentless charge of Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Another race weekend, another bunch of records to their name. That’s been their mantra throughout the season. Had it not been for the Singapore GP, who knows? Red Bull could’ve become the first team to win every race in a calendar year. But a streak needs to break for another one to start, and that’s precisely what the Milton-Keynes team is focusing on. Needless to say, it’s back to it’s ‘another race weekend, another record’ mantra, and the next race to conquer is the Qatar GP.

Verstappen single-handedly secured Red Bull’s sixth Constructors’ Championship in Suzuka. Two weeks later, at the Qatar GP, the reigning champion will get his first opportunity to become a three-time champion. As he sets out to become a part of history once again, Verstappen has found an unlikely appreciator in Lewis Hamilton.

What did Lewis Hamilton applaud Max Verstappen for

It’s no secret that Verstappen and Hamilton don’t have the best of relationships. It all started in 2021 when a resurgent Red Bull Racing was aiming to overthrow the incumbent champions, Mercedes AMG. That was a season for the ages, with Verstappen and Hamilton giving their absolute best every time they went out on track. Because of how hard they pushed each other at times, there has been this underlying animosity between the two champions since then. Even so, Hamilton set aside his pride and appreciated Verstappen for what he’s done in 2023.

Red Bull gave Verstappen the RB19—the fastest car on the grid. He got what he wanted, and he’s been making the most out of it. Discussing his dominance this season, Hamilton said, “Max has been faultless, and no one can take that away from him. He has done an amazing job with the package he has. He and the team have been phenomenal. They’ve raised the bar.” They certainly have raised the bar, one that Hamilton and Mercedes look to beat in the near future. But Red Bull isn’t quite done yet. It’s on its way to claiming another record, one that belongs to the eight-time champions.

If either Red Bull scores points in Qatar, the team would equal Mercedes’ record. What is the record? Most consecutive points finishes for a team. The current record is 38 races, set by Mercedes twice from the 2016 Monaco GP to the 2018 Australian GP. Having scored in every race since the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP, Red Bull is on a 37-race points-scoring streak, one that looks tipped to become 38. Another race weekend, another record to its name, right? Wondering what else Verstappen and Red Bull have achieved this season?

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What records have Verstappen and Red Bull broken in 2023?

Max Verstappen has been close to invincible this season. Of the 16 races so far, the Dutchman has won 13 of them. After winning two of the first four races in 2023, he began a record-breaking winning streak at the Miami GP. From Miami to Monza, Verstappen won 10 consecutive races, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record of 9 in a row. With 48 wins to his name now, he surpassed Ayrton Senna’s 41 wins at the Canadian GP. Currently fifth in the career win tally, he needs just four more victories to surpass Alain Prost. In 2022, he won a record 15 races. With six weekends to go, he needs to win just three more to better his own record.

If not for the Singapore GP, Red Bull would’ve still been unbeaten this season. Even so, it didn’t go down without sealing its name in F1 history. In 1988, McLaren achieved 11 wins in a row. Counting the 2022 Abu Dhabi GP, the Milton-Keynes team won 15 races in a row before Ferrari ended that record-breaking streak at the Singapore GP. There are still six races to go and more records to break. There’s no doubt this list will be longer at the end of the season. 

What has been your favorite Max Verstappen and Red Bull moment of 2023?

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