Max Verstappen
Neerlandés · 2015–presente
Max Verstappen is the driver who defines Formula 1's current era. Son of former driver Jos Verstappen, he debuted in 2015 aged just 17, becoming the youngest ever to start a Grand Prix and to score points. His mid-2016 promotion to Red Bull paid off instantly: he won in Barcelona on his very first race with the team.
For years he piled up spectacular wins while waiting for a car capable of fighting for the title. It came in 2021, in a ferocious battle with Hamilton settled on the final lap in Abu Dhabi amid controversy. From there he unleashed crushing dominance: champion in 2022, 2023 and 2024, with a historic record of 19 wins from the 22 races of 2023.
His raw speed is only part of the story; what sets him apart is total race control, surgical tyre management and a relentless mentality that rarely gives an inch. With four straight titles before turning thirty, he already features in any conversation about the greatest of all time.
What if Verstappen had another car?
We took his real attributes and put him in the best car of each era: in a real driver's seat, against the team-mate that car actually had. 20 full seasons in each.
| Car | Team-mate | Finish | Wins | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren1988 | Alain Prost+11 pts | P1.4 | 9.1 | 60% |
| Williams1992 | Riccardo Patrese+104 pts | P1.1 | 12 | 95% |
| Ferrari2002 | Rubens Barrichello+118 pts | P1 | 15.3 | 100% |
| Red Bull2013 | Mark Webber+119 pts | P1 | 16.8 | 100% |
| Mercedes2016 | Lewis Hamilton+42 pts | P1.3 | 13.3 | 75% |
| Red Bull2023 | Sergio Perez+129 pts | P1 | 19.8 | 100% |
| Cadillac2026 · 11th on the grid | Valtteri Bottas+57 pts | P9 | 0 | 0% |
His toughest team-mate is Alain Prost in the 1988 McLaren, and he still finishes 11 points clear.
Verstappen against everyone, in the same car
We put the 11 names that come up most often head to head with identical machinery, 150 seasons of 18 races per duel. Verstappen comes out 1 of 11, ahead of Schumacher.
The full league, duel by duel, with who beats whom and by how much.
Rating by season
- First season
- 84 2015
- Peak
- 98 2023
- 2026
- 95 Red Bull
12 seasons in the database, from 2015 to 2026. Our own rating, from 50 to 99.
Teams
Tags
Wins
72
Poles
49
Titles
4
Best year
2023
What would Max Verstappen have achieved with a different car or in a different era?
Hypotheses featuring Max Verstappen
Keep reading
Where Max Verstappen comes up in what we have measured, with our own numbers.
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