Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
With his victory at the United States Grand Prix, Max Verstappen joins an elite club
Another victory for Max Verstappen, and another Formula 1 milestone for the three-time Drivers’ Champion.
Verstappen took the checkered flag at Sunday’s United States Grand Prix, holding off a hard charge down the stretch from Lewis Hamilton. In addition to the competition, Verstappen had to manage a braking issue on his RB19 that was causing him problems during the bulk of the race.
Verstappen noted after the race when he was interviewed trackside by Jenson Button that he was “struggling” with the brakes, which “made my race a bit tougher out there today.” He also had to fight a bit through the field, as he started in P6.
But with the victory Verstappen not only added to his championship total for 2023, but he joined an extremely exclusive club: The 50-win Club. Verstappen joins Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost as the only members of that group.
“It’s of course incredible … very proud of course, and we’ll just keep trying to push for more,” said Verstappen to Button following the race.
Currently, Hamilton remains the leader with career victories, with 103. Schumacher notched 91 wins over his career, with Vettel third on the list with 53. Prost is just one victory ahead of Verstappen, with 51 career victories.
With four more races left on the schedule, there is a chance Verstappen gets himself into third on the all-time list by the end of the season.
And with the way his season has gone, would you bet against him?
