The Dutch driver looked set to finish in no man's land in F1 2025 at the beginning of the season, with McLaren boasting a significant technical advantage over Red Bull Racing at that point in time.

However, the cards would be reshuffled after the summer break, with the Austrian team's uptick allowing Verstappen to nearly snatch the F1 Drivers' crown from Lando Norris coming just two points off completing the would-be historical feat.

However, he still managed to wrap up the season as the driver with the most wins (8) and pole positions (8). His 2025 victories saw him grow his F1 career tally from 63 to a total of 71, of which he's won all defending Red Bull colours.

Now the Dutch driver and the Austrian team stand just one win shy of Schumacher's 72-win record with Ferrari, achieved over the course of 11 seasons, from the 1996 campaign to 2006's.

Hamilton and Mercedes managed to break the German's and the Italian's total by 12 wins, achieved over their 12-year spell. The probabilities of Verstappen and Red Bull surpassing both marks, though, are not yet certain. In 2026 F1 will implement drastic technical changes to the power units, the cars, fuel and tyres, among other aspects, which could either facilitate or hinder Verstappen's charge to the top of the history books.

Although the Dutch driver has been able to achieved eye-watering numbers in less time that both Schumacher and Hamilton, it must be noted that in recent times the number of Grands Prix per season has seen a significant increase to an all-time high of 24, increasing his chances to add more victories to his tally.

Of course, should an untimely departure from Red Bull occurr after the F1 2026 season, then the counter will be reset, and Hamilton's record will then stand until an F1 star rises and achieves the same type of relentless domination, which could be a long while yet.

Helmut Marko, now gone from Red Bull, said the team should have acted sooner on Christian Horner’s departure, claiming an earlier dismissal would have improved performance and led Max Verstappen to the 2025 Drivers’ Championship. Read his full statements here.

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