Red Bull Racing Driver Max Verstappen had a record-shattering 2023 Formula 1 season. The Dutch driver not only bossed his way to a third driver world championship but in doing so he has broken the long-standing record of Sebastian Vettel’s 9 consecutive race wins. The German Formula 1 legend’s record looked insurmountable but Verstappen managed to break it with relative ease. Here is a look at the 5 longest driver win streaks in Formula 1 History.
Max Verstappen
Win Streak – 10
Team – Red Bull Racing
Year – 2023
The Dutch sensation Max Verstappen continues to establish his name as of one of the greatest drivers Formula 1 has ever seen. The RBR driver steering the number 1 car has shown an invincible and imperious run of form in the 2023 Formula 1 season. Towards the start of the season, Verstappen was challenged by his teammate Sergio Perez for the title.
Verstappen however took control of the title race since winning and Miami and never looked back. What followed was an inevitable run of form which saw the Dutchman absolutely cush oppositions as he ended up winning 10 race wins in a row.
Sebastian Vettel
Win Streak – 9
Team – Red Bull Racing
Year – 2013
Sebastian Vettel is one of the greatest drivers the sport of Formula 1 has ever seen. The German had already won three world championships in a row and was sitting pretty for his fourth world championship in 2013. Just before the summer Lewis Hamilton started mounting a challenge with Mercedes.
But Vettel remained unfazed as he started one of the most memorable winning streaks in Formula 1 history. The streak started from Spa and lasted till interlagos, winning Vettel his fourth world championship. The streak marked the culmination of one of the most dominant eras in history of the sport.
Alberto Ascari
Win Streak – 7
Team – Ferrari
Year – 1952/53
The Italian maestro Alberto Ascari was one of the earlier legends of the sport of Formula 1. Ascari and Ferrari kickstarted a dominant partnership in the early years of Formula 1. Back in the day Formula 1 was nowhere near the 23-race calendar it follows now.
During Ascari’s time, the races were limited to single digits. Ascari went on to sweep the championship in 1952 by winning all the 6 Grand Prixs in the 1952 Season. His streak carried on to the next year when he won the first Grand Prix of the year. With seven race wins to his name he didn’t feature in the next Indy 500 race. Now back then Indy 500 were part of the Formula 1 season, hence Ascari lost his streak, but if you count Grand Prixs then Ascari won nine in a row. The Italian motorsport icon had won 40% of his Formula 1 races.
Michael Schumacher
Win Streak – 7
Team – Ferrari
Year – 2004
Micheal Schumacher is without a doubt the most renowned name in Formula 1 throughout the world. The German genius went on to win a record seven driver world championships throughout his career.
His insurmountable racecraft coupled with the might of Ferrari formed one of the most dominant partnerships in Sport’s history. On his way to win a seventh World Championship, Schumacher crushed the opposition by winning seven races in a row, a run that started from Nurburgring in Germany to the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Nico Rosberg
Win Streak – 7
Team – Mercedes
Year – 2015/16
Nico Rosberg is the third German to make the list as he also went on to win seven races in a row to win his maiden World Championship with the silver arrows in 2016. But it all started back in 2015. Rosberg had been with the team since the inception and he had to see teammate Lewis Hamilton join the team and win the championship twice with the team.
That didn’t bode well with Rosberg as with fire in the belly he ended the 2015 Formula 1 season with 3 consecutive race wins. As the 2016 season began, there was no looking back for Rosberg as he went on to win the first four races of the season taking his streak to seven. Rosberg in the end won the title in a dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi. After one of the most dramatic seasons in Formula 1 history which saw Nico claim his first world championship, the German shocked the world as he announced his retirement from the sport.
