Verstappen remains record holder: he is the only one who managed to achieve this

Despite a challenging campaign so far, Verstappen has still claimed two victories — one in Japan and another at Imola during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. He also came out on top in the Belgian sprint race, overtaking Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and holding the lead all the way to the finish.

His sprint victory in Belgium ensured that Verstappen maintains a record he has built up over the past few years. The driver of Red Bull Racing is in fact the only driver who has won at least one race in the shortened races each year since the sprint races were introduced.

He also holds the record for the number of sprint races he has won. Verstappen has won more than half of the sprint races held so far since their introduction in 2021. It was the Red Bull Racing driver who took the win twelve times. Three drivers share second place. Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri all won a sprint race twice.

This season hasn’t been as smooth for Verstappen. Unlike previous years, it looks as though the Dutchman is not in the title fight for now. The Red Bull Racing driver himself has been even more pessimistic, saying after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix that he doesn’t expect to win another race under normal conditions.

In the standings, Verstappen currently sits third. He trails Oscar Piastri by 97 points, while the gap to Lando Norris stands at 88. Meanwhile, George Russell has closed in after finishing third in Hungary, leaving the Brit just 15 points behind the Red Bull driver.