Max Verstappen has pointed out that Formula 1 seasons are longer now than they used to be and, like most active sportspeople, he’s not too bothered about breaking records. But his new benchmark of 15 wins from a single world championship season is still remarkable and deserves to be compared to some of the finest campaigns in F1 history.
Working out the strike rate is an easy way of minimising the impact of the ever-growing F1 schedule. Verstappen’s tally from 22 races gives a 68% success rate. Yes, Ferrari’s strategy blunders and unreliability have boosted this figure, but Verstappen still had to get the job done. And he did that despite various challenges along the way, such as grid penalties at Spa and Monza.
The bald statistics are impressive, but what makes Verstappen’s season stand out is
