Hill amazed by "phenomenal" Verstappen as he may break 40+ year old record

Max Verstappen could become the first driver in more than 40 years to win the Formula 1 world championship while his team comes third among constructors. Damon Hill shared his amazement at the potential of the Dutchman breaking this record on X.

Will Verstappen become the first in 40 years with this statistic?

In theory, it is not yet certain that Red Bull Racing will finish third in the constructors' championship. McLaren can no longer be overtaken, but Ferrari could still be caught by the Austrian team before the season ends. The difference is 38 points, and there are still 44 points on offer at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A lot has to to go Red Bull's way for them to have any chance of finishing second in the championship, but the possibility is there.

Should Red Bull finish third in the constructors' championship, Verstappen will become the first driver in more than 40 years to have won the drivers' title with his team in that position. Funnily enough, it is also his girlfriend's dad, Nelson Piquet, who last managed this. The Brazilian became champion in 1983 while Brabham, Piquet's team, finished only third among constructors.

Hill applauds Verstappen

The fact that this record which has stood for just over four decades could now be broken has not gone unnoticed, and 1996 world champion Hill stated, "I think that says it all. At the risk of stating the bleedin obvious, Max is phenomenal. Stats like this don't lie."

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy

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