“A Legendary Number”: Max Verstappen Joins Another Dutch Icon After Scripting History at the Mexican GP

Red Bull star driver Max Verstappen has recently broken the record for most wins in a single season. The German duo of Vettel and Schumacher had 13 wins in a season, which the Dutchman broke when he took the chequered flag before anyone else in Mexico. As Verstappen reached the magic number of 14, he was compared with another Dutch legend!

Hendrik Johannes Cruijff or Johan Cruyff was a popular Dutch soccer player. The man not only was a pioneer in Dutch soccer but also a global sporting icon. Cruyff carried the number 14 jersey on his back, the same magical number that Verstappen recently picked up through wins in the 2022 F1 season.

The comparison was made by Verstappen.com, Verstappen’s official website’s Instagram account with a caption, “A legendary number for two Dutch legends.” The comparison certainly suited well.

As Cruyff was the man who once made every Dutchman proud in front of the whole world, Verstappen is doing it now. Moreover, Verstappen, who won the F1 title last year, was also awarded the Dutch sportsman of the year in 2021.

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Interestingly, the two-time world champion also supports Barcelona, the same club Cruyff had endless contributions in establishing them as a soccer superpower globally. If Verstappen can pick up another F1 championship, he will equal the late Johan Cruyff’s Ballon d’Or wins.

Max Verstappen broke Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s record

With the recent win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Max Verstappen broke the record for most wins in a single season. He broke Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s records of 13 wins, set in 2013 and 2004, respectively.

However, the 25-year-driver stated that he’s not interested in statistics. As per a report published by AP News, Verstappen conveyed, “I was never really interested in stats. I always just live in the moment.

“I try to do the best I can every single weekend. I try to win races and that is the most important thing. I am not that interested in keeping up with every stat. It is amazing season and we are happy to be winning,” further asserted the Dutchman.

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As Verstappen retained his championship in Japan, the F1 world got a new double world champion. With this, he equaled the likes of Alberto Ascari, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Hakkinen, and Fernando Alonso.