Max Verstappen’s 2023 Formula One season was nothing short of historic, with a series of record-breaking performances that have rewritten the history books of F1. His astonishing achievements included smashing the records of the most wins in a single season, the largest-ever win percentage and points scored, to name a few—an unprecedented feat underlining his pure dominance that year.
What to know
- The most dominant season in F1 history. 19 wins, 21 podium finishes and 575 points.
- Max Verstappen was crowned World Champion for a third consecutive year.
- Verstappen secured his third title at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix sprint race in October, with six Grands Prix (including that Sunday’s race in Qatar) still to run.
Besides the record-breaking stats, Max Verstappen secured his third consecutive World Drivers’ Championship with six races of the 2023 season to spare, demonstrating his and the Red Bull Racing team’s consistency and utter dominance. His ability to consistently finish on the podium, breaking records for consecutive podium finishes, further solidified his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Below, we explore the incredible numbers behind the title-winning campaign, which many suggest will never be eclipsed again in F1 history.
Max Verstappen 2023 Grand Prix Statistics
This table provides a detailed look at Verstappen’s overall race statistics for the 2023 F1 Season.
| # | Category | Stat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Championship Position | 1st |
| 2 | Total Points | 575 |
| 3 | Best Grand Prix Result | 1st (x19) |
| 4 | Wins | 19 (of 22 races) |
| 5 | Consecutive Wins | 10 (Between Miami in May and Italy in September) |
| 6 | Win % | 86.35% |
| 7 | Podiums | 21 |
| 8 | Top 5 Finishes | 22 |
| 9 | Points Scoring Races | 22 |
| 10 | Point-less Finishes | 0 |
| 11 | % of Team Points Scored | 66.86% |
| 12 | Number of Starts | 22 |
| 13 | Number of Finishes | 22 |
| 14 | Number of Non-Finishes | 0 |
| 15 | Laps Complete | 1,325 |
| 16 | % of Laps Complete | 100% (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 17 | Distance Covered | 6,700km (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 18 | Laps Led | 1,003 (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 19 | Laps in Top 3 | 1,180 (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 20 | Laps in Top 5 | 1,235 (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 21 | Laps in Top 10 | 1,312 (1st / 22 drivers) |
Race Wins
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen set a new benchmark in Formula 1 history by securing 19 wins in a single championship season, surpassing the record of 15 wins he set in the 2022 season. Before Verstappen, the record of 13 wins in a season was jointly held by Michael Schumacher during his last championship-winning year with Ferrari in 2004 and Sebastian Vettel, like Max, with Red Bull in 2013.
Historical Comparisons
In the history of Formula 1, and as of January 2025, only 17 drivers have secured more than 19 wins throughout their F1 careers, underscoring the rarity of Verstappen’s single-season achievement. Surprisingly, several renowned greats have not reached this mark, including Stirling Moss with 16 wins, Jenson Button with 15, Emerson Fittipaldi with 14, and Alberto Ascari with 13 career Grand Prix wins.
In Moss and Ascari’s eras, the Formula 1 calendar was much shorter, often featuring no more than eight championship rounds, one of which included the Indy 500. It’s also worth noting that both drivers frequently competed in—and won—numerous non-championship races. The final non-championship Formula One race took place in 1983, marking the end of an era when Formula One hosted races that did not count towards the World Championship standings.
It’s important to mention that until relatively recently, Formula 1 seasons didn’t even include 19 races. The first season to feature 19 races was in 2005, and it wasn’t until 2010 that having 19 races became a regular occurrence. Against this backdrop, Verstappen’s achievement of 19 wins in a single season is extraordinary.
Win Percentage
Record Achievement
A more impartial method for comparing drivers’ dominance across different eras might be to look at win percentages. In 2023, Max Verstappen won 86.35% of the races, surpassing Alberto Ascari’s 1952 record of 75%, where he won six out of eight races.
Historical Comparisons
However, the comparison can be countered. Ascari didn’t compete in the Indy 500 when it formed a part of the championship rounds, effectively making his win rate 87.5% for the races he entered. Comparing this to Verstappen’s performance over a 22-race season still presents challenges due to the vastly different season lengths. A more recent benchmark might be Michael Schumacher’s 2004 season, where he secured a win in 72.22% of the races, taking victory in 13 out of 18 races, ranking third in all-time season win percentages.
Consecutive Wins
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen set a new F1 record by winning 10 consecutive races, starting from the 2023 Miami Grand Prix in May and culminating at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix in September. This achievement broke Sebastian Vettel’s previous record of nine consecutive wins in 2013.
Historical Comparisons
With the decline of the Mercedes teams own dominance the toll of seeing another team and driver dominate saw team boss Toto Wolff downplay Verstappen’s achievement as merely a “Wikipedia entry,” the broader F1 community disagreed. Verstappen’s streak of 10 races without defeat is undeniably great, but some agree that the part of his success is down to his teammates’ struggles with the RB19 car with Sergio Perez unable to compete at the front consistantly. A trend that continued in 2024, ultimately losing his seat to Liam Lawson for 2025 who had raced for the sister team Racing Bulls. Had Verstappen been paired with a Lando Norris or a Charles Leclerc, while sparks may have flyed, he would surely have won fewer races.
The streak ended at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, a track that had historically challenged Red Bull, with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz winning. Verstappen quickly bounced back to win the final seven races of the season.
Title Win
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen clinched the 2023 Drivers’ Championship during the 2023 Qatar Sprint Race in October, with six Grands Prix remaining. This record equaled Michael Schumacher’s 2002 record, who also won the title with six races left of a season.
Historical Comparisons
Verstappen’s third Championship in a row marked the first time in F1 history that a driver secured the championship title in a Sprint Race. The inclusion of more races and additional sprint events for 2023 in locations like the U.S. and Brazil, where points were also awarded, underscores the magnitude of his record breaking season. Winning the championship with a full quarter of the season’s races still to go, is an extraordinary accomplishment.
Max Verstappen 2023 Qualifying Statistics
This table provides a detailed look at Verstappen’s qualifying performance and grid statistics for the 2023 F1 Season.
| # | Category | Stat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best 2023 Qualifying Result | 1st (x13) |
| 2 | Worst 2023 Qualifying Result | 15th (2023 Saudi Arabian GP) |
| 3 | Average Qualifying Position | 3.00 (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 4 | Best 2023 Grid Position | 1st (x12) |
| 5 | Worst 2023 Grid Position | 15th (2023 Saudi Arabian GP) |
| 6 | Average Grid Position | 3.18 (1st / 22 drivers) |
| 7 | Q1 Exits | 0 |
| 8 | Q2 Exits | 2 |
| 9 | Q3 Appearances | 20 |
| 10 | Out-qualified Team-mate | 20 |
| 11 | Beat Team-mate in Qualifying Sectors | 55 |
| 12 | Out-qualified By Team-mate | 2 |
| 13 | Beaten By Team-mate in Qualifying Sectors | 10 |
| 14 | Average Gap to Team-mate per Qualifying Sector | -0.237s |
Max Verstappen 2023 Season Summary
This table provides a detailed look at Verstappen’s qualifying and race results for the 2023 F1 Season.
| Grand Prix | Qualifying Battle | Qualified | Grid Position | Race Result | Pos. Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Saudi Arabia | Lost | 15 | 15 | 2 | 13 |
| Australia | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Azerbaijan | Won | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Miami | Lost | 9 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| Monaco | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Spain | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Canada | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Austria | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Britain | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary | Won | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Belgium | Won | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Netherlands | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Italy | Won | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Singapore | Won | 11 | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| Japan | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Qatar | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| United States | Won | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Mexico City | Won | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Sao Paulo | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Las Vegas | Won | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Abu Dhabi | Won | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Max Verstappen 2023 Sprint Summary
This table provides a detailed look at Verstappen’s Sprint Quali and Sprint results for the 2023 F1 Season.
| Sprint | Qualified | Grid Position | Race Result | Pos. Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azerbaijan | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Austria | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Qatar | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| United States | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sao Paulo | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Max Verstappen A Record Breaking Season
As the 2023 F1 season came to a close Max Verstappen’s march to his third title was relentless, with rarely an on-track battle for the top step of the podium. The now four-time World Champion, as of writing this in January 2025, dominated in 2023 in a style that had never been witnessed before, and maybe never again. While 2023 saw multiple records broken you can trace his F1 records right back to his debut in 2015, where he became F1’s youngest-ever driver at 17 years and 166 days old.
With major records broken, the 2023 season also saw Verstappen break other long-standing records, including:
- 21 Podiums – breaking his own record of 18 in 2021.
- Winning the most races from pole position on 12 occasions.
- Taking the most hat-tricks (pole, win and fastest lap) six times.
- Securing a gap of 290 points in the Championship standings between himself and his teammate Sergio Perez, a winning margin that had been held by Sebastian Vettel in 2013, who beat his teammate Mark Webber by 155 points.
- Finishing the 2023 Formula 1 season with 575 points, breaking his own previous record of 454 points in 2022.
- The final race of the season, the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Max become the first driver to lead over 1000 laps, leading a total of 1003 laps. He has since added to this.
Formula One History Recommends
F1’s only driver to win three times in one country during a single season
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen set a new milestone in Formula 1 by becoming the first driver to win three grands prix in a single country within one season. In 2023, he triumphed at all three U.S. races, starting with the 2023 Miami Grand Prix in May, followed by victories in Austin and Las Vegas later in the year.
Historical Comparisons
This was only the third instance in F1 history that a single country hosted three Grands Prix in one season. The United States previously held three races in 1982—Long Beach, Detroit, and Las Vegas. Italy also hosted three races in 2020—Monza, Mugello, and Imola—during the season adjusted for the COVID-19 pandemic.
In contrast to 1982, when the U.S. races were won by different drivers, and the 2020 Italian races where Lewis Hamilton won at Mugello and Imola, and Pierre Gasly claimed Monza, Verstappen’s clean sweep in 2023 marks a significant first in the sport’s history.
F1’s most hat-tricks in a season
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen secured six hat-tricks, where a driver earns pole position, wins the race, and sets the fastest lap over a single Grand Prix weekend. His hat-tricks were achieved in Spain, Austria, the UK, Japan, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
Historical Comparisons
This record beats the previous record of five hat-tricks in a season, shared by Alberto Ascari in 1952 and Michael Schumacher in 2004.
F1’s most pitstops by the winning driver in one race
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen matched a rather unusual Formula 1 record at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix by making six pitstops on his way to victory. This record was originally set by Jenson Button during the memorable 2011 Canadian Grand Prix.
Historical Comparisons
In 2011, the Canadian Grand Prix began under a safety car due to heavy rain, with Jenson Button experiencing a troublesome race that saw him collide with his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Despite these challenges, Button’s strategic sixth pitstop to switch to slick tyres proved decisive. As the track dried, he drove through the field, clinching the win on the final lap when Sebastian Vettel made an error.
Verstappen’s race at his home Grand Prix was less dramatic but with challenging conditions. The race started on slick tyres, but a swift change to intermediates came with early rain. Despite the fluctuating weather, Verstappen maintained his lead throughout.
F1’s most consecutive races as championship leader
Record Achievement
Max Verstappen concluded the 2023 season with a remarkable record of leading the championship standings for 39 consecutive Grands Prix. This streak began in May 2022 following a pivotal race at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, where a mechanical failure forced Charles Leclerc to retire while leading, allowing Verstappen to claim victory and seize the championship lead.
Throughout the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023, including a win at the season opener in Bahrain, Verstappen maintained his lead at every race, breaking the previous record of 37 consecutive races held by Michael Schumacher from the 2000 United States Grand Prix to the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix.
This steak continied into 2024 where Verstappen also broke Michael Schumacher’s record for the most consecutive days in the lead of the drivers’ championship (Schumacher led for 896 days in a row) at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. At the time of writing this in January 2025, Verstappen’s lead of the Championship continued until at least the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.
For a complete list of F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ records visit our F1 Records section of the site.
