Max Verstappen’s latest F1 milestone over Lewis Hamilton proves the Dutchman’s got everything to become F1 GOAT

Max Verstappen surpassed Lewis Hamilton for yet another milestone after winning the Emilia Romagna GP.

Max Verstappen’s latest F1 milestone over Lewis Hamilton proves the Dutchman’s got everything to become F1 GOAT

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are undoubtedly the biggest names in Formula 1 in the past decade. The two drivers have battled one another on several occasions including the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. However, fans have continued to debate regarding who is actually the better driver. Now, Verstappen has gained an edge after his victory at the Emilia Romagna GP.

The three-time world champion won his 59th F1 race during the Imola weekend. Max Verstappen has competed in 192 races so far. This puts the Dutchman’s win rate at 30.73%. The 26-year-old has finally overtaken Lewis Hamilton in this regard as the seven-time world champion’s win rate stands at 30.38%.

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However, it must be noted that Verstappen only stands fourth in the all-time list. The Late Juan Manuel Fangio still holds the record with a staggering 47.06% win rate. Alberto Ascari and Jim Clark take up the next two spots at 40.63% and 34.72% respectively.

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Nevertheless, it is clear that in F1’s modern era, Max Verstappen has managed to achieve the highest win ratio. As such, this proves that the reigning world champion has what it takes to topple Lewis Hamilton in the debate for the ‘GOAT’ (Greatest of All Time) of F1.

Max Verstappen’s F1 dominance on another level compared to Lewis Hamilton’s championship years

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes dominated Formula 1 in the Turbo Hybrid era. The British driver won five world titles between 2014 and 2020. However, Max Verstappen has only truly dominated the sport in 2022 and 2023. The Dutch driver had to fight tooth and nail for the 2021 title against Hamilton.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO).

The seven-time world champion faced stiff competition for the championship during his glory days. First it was teammate Nico Rosberg, followed by Sebastian Vettel. Albeit, Lewis Hamilton had a smooth sailing in 2019 and 2020. On the other hand, Max Verstappen truly annihilated the competition in the past two seasons. With rivals proving no match against the Dutch driver’s astonishing pace.

One could argue that this was courtesy of Red Bull’s pace advantage. However, Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez failed to come anywhere near the Dutch driver. Max Verstappen’s historic 2023 campaign had signaled that the 26-year-old was in a league of his own. Now, the three-time world champion further creates history by beating Hamilton’s win rate in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Max Verstappen is only 26 years old. The Dutch driver could have over a decade more to break further records in F1. Although, it is unlikely that the Red Bull driver would stay in the sport for so long. Nevertheless, Verstappen’s drive at Imola where he managed to fend off Lando Norris proved that the reigning world champion could avoid mistakes and stay calm in high pressure situations. As such, Verstappen has further solidified his claim of becoming the GOAT of Formula 1 in the future.

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