Max Verstappen can reach another mega milestone in F1 career
- Jeroen Immink
A Max Verstappen victory at Zandvoort this coming weekend could put him on a par with a Formula 1 legend. The Dutchman has already won the Dutch GP three times before in the last three years. Should a fourth victory be added this weekend, the three-time world champion would match Jim Clark for most wins at Zandvoort. The Dutchman has also reached an important milestone and will add it to his seemingly never-ending list this weekend.
Verstappen will match Clark with a win at Zandvoort
Clark is a Formula 1 legend. The Brit who raced for Lotus was widely appreciated as a lightning-fast driver. With 25 wins and two world titles, he is as an icon in motorsport. A horrifying accident in 1968 took the life of Clark. He was only 34 years old when he passed, but his legacy is still remembered. With four wins at the Zandvoort circuit, he is still the record holder when it comes to the most GP victories in the Netherlands. Verstappen can equal Clark's record this coming weekend.
Verstappen managed to break records at the Zandvoort circuit before. Last year, he took a ninth GP win in a row, equalling four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. Verstappen can also grab the record for most pole positions. If he manages to grab his fourth pole in a row, he will beat René Arnoux and be the sole record holder.
Milestone for Max: Race 200
In 2015, Verstappen made his debut at the age of 17. At the Australian Grand Prix, he stepped into the Toro Rosso, which then made him the youngest-ever driver in Formula 1. This coming weekend at his home race, he will drive his 200th race in Formula 1. He has already competed in F1 many more times than his father Jos, who competed 107 times in Formula 1. The record for most races is still held by Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, who races for Aston Martin, will drive his 395th Formula 1 race this weekend.
Should Verstappen win for the fourth time in a row at Zandvoort, he will take his 62nd victory in Formula 1. That will mean he has managed to win a whopping 31% of his F1 races.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon