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After Demolishing Lewis Hamilton’s Astonishing Record, Max Verstappen Sets Sights on Fernando Alonso

Published 08/19/2023, 1:50 PM EDT

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via Reuters

In hindsight, the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix was the start of something really special. No doubt, a young Max Verstappen winning his first-ever Grand Prix in his debut for Red Bull was special enough. However, that particular victory started off a chain of events that has led all of us to this day here in 2023. Verstappen is arguably a class above the rest of the field this year. And he was last year, too. But in a short span of time, he has absolutely obliterated the record books and dethroned some giants of our sport.

In 2021, Verstappen stole Lewis Hamilton‘s crown. And with that, he embarked on a journey to dismantle the Brit’s legacy and the records he held. Last time around at the Belgian Grand Prix, the Dutch lion surpassed an astonishing record held by the 7x champion, and now, as he approaches his home race at Zandvoort, he has his sights set firmly on Fernando Alonso.

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The first word that pops up in our heads when we think about Max Verstappen’s dominant streak is ‘inevitable’. And there’s a pretty good reason behind it, too. The Red Bull talisman has won a Grand Prix now from 9 different starting positions! It just doesn’t matter where Verstappen starts, he’s only going to go and win the race.

via Reuters

At Spa, Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton, who holds the same accolade but from 8 different grid positions. And Verstappen’s win from 6th on the grid has now tied him with Alonso. Both Verstappen and Alonso hold this joint record of winning a race from the most grid slots. But that could all change very quickly in the Netherlands.

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As the 25-year-old gears up for his home Grand Prix, can he finally become the undisputed king of this record? Well, for that, he’d have to start the race from either 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th or 20th and win. If there’s anyone who can, then it’s got to be Verstappen, right?

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While Verstappen can overtake Alonso next race weekend around, he can also claim a special Red Bull record all for himself.

Verstappen is just a race away from solidifying Red Bull’s legacy

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Currently, the record for the most number of consecutive race wins is a feather in the cap of 4x champion, Sebastian Vettel. The 36-year-old German amassed this astounding accolade driving for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, too.

via Imago

With his stonking race performance at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen has now amassed a sum total of 8 consecutive race wins. And with the trajectory he’s taken this season, he could beat Vettel by the end of the Italian GP being held at the temple of speed, Monza. All he needs to do is win the upcoming races.

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WATCH THIS STORY | Helmut Marko’s Frightening Reality Slap: Lewis Hamilton Downplays Max Verstappen’s Dominance!

Do you think Max Verstappen can break both Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel’s records in the coming race weekends?

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Written by:

Anirban Aly Mandal

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Anirban Aly Mandal is a senior F1 writer at EssentiallySports, with over 500 articles published on the platform. Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 while playing on his computer, and he has since then dived deep into the world of motorsports. Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare