Max Verstappen’s dominant win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix closed out his 2023 season with fitting dominance. After starting from pole position, Verstappen never surrendered the lead en route to victory.
But more impressively than just one race, Verstappen won nineteen times throughout the season, failing to stand on the top spot of the podium in just three races. The dominant performance certainly broke more than a few records, as compiled by VegasInsider.com.
Verstappen holds a new record for the most wins in a season, breaking the previous record that he set himself last season. He also set a new record for the most consecutive wins in a season with his ten in a row.
Twelve of those wins were from pole position, also a new record in the sport and further demonstration of the pace of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car.
He also stood on the podium more times in one season than any other driver in F1 history, only missing out on the top three once.
Verstappen also locked up the championship, but it certainly didn’t take him until Abu Dhabi to do so. In fact, he wrapped up the title by the Qatar Grand Prix with six races still to go in the 22-race season. That’s not a new record for the earliest championship decider, since Michael Schumacher did the same in 2002, but it is highly impressive.
In so doing, he scored the most points of any driver in a single season. That continues a streak of points – only awarded to drivers finishing inside the top ten – from midway through the 2022 season. At 1004 consecutive points, Verstappen has now just surpassed Lewis Hamilton’s 998 to take that record as well.
Lewis Hamilton still maintains his lead over Verstappen in career records. The Mercedes driver enjoyed his dominant streak before Verstappen started winning, earning a record 103 wins, 104 poles, and 197 podiums, as well as a record-tying seven championships.
Hamilton added to his impressive totals this season. Despite struggling with his car at times, he still managed to lock up third in the drivers’ standings.
In addition to that, he added to his record for most career points at 4639.5 – counting a rain-soaked 2021 Belgian Grand Prix that awarded half points – and most career races finishing in the points at 290.
He also added to the aforementioned records for podiums – and pole positions, beating out the Red Bulls at the Hungarian Grand Prix – this season with some strong performances, as well as extending his record laps led to 5455 in total, the equivalent of 17259 miles.
It was Red Bull Racing who proved the most dominant all season. Of the 22 races, the team only lost one, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez picking up two victories of his own.
Unsurprisingly, that dominance earned them a few records, including the most consecutive wins for a constructor, which they worked up to fifteen before losing to Ferrari at the Singapore Grand Prix. 21 wins also pushes Red Bull past Mercedes’ 19 in total for the most wins in a season. Engine supplier Honda earned the same records as well.
Of the dozens of records either set or tied during the season, some drivers will be less happy to have their names on the list.
Nico Hülkenberg now has run the most races of any driver without earning a podium. Lando Norris has scored the most points of any driver without a podium. Valterri Bottas has secured the most points of any driver without a championship to his name.
Finally, the ever-unlucky Esteban Ocon broke his own record for the most driving penalties in one race, getting 5 violations at the track-limits-heavy 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.
As the Formula 1 grid resets for the 2024 season, the records set by Verstappen and Red Bull will certainly be at the front of every team’s mind: Red Bull is looking to extend them, while every other team wants to dethrone the champions.
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