Here is the current state of play as Verstappen hunts F1 records in 2023

Max Verstappen is doing extremely well in 2023. The Dutchman is making good use of his highly competitive RB19 and is dominating Formula 1. The first half of the season was unprecedentedly dominant, putting a lot of F1 records in sight for Verstappen.

Verstappen has been victorious in 10 of the 12 races in the first half of the season. So with ten Grands Prix to go in the second part of the season, the Red Bull Racing driver could reach 20 wins. But, of course, that is in theory. The record for most wins in a single season is already in Verstappen's name, with 15 wins in 2022. So to break this, the Dutchman would have to win more than half the races in the second half of the season, which is plausible with the dominance he is currently showing.

The highest winning percentage in a season is 75 per cent; Alberto Ascari scored six wins in the eight races of 1952. Verstappen, with 10 wins from 12 races, stands at a victory rate of over 83 per cent. To break Ascari's record, Verstappen needs to win 17 out of 22 races in 2023.

Eight of the 10 wins Verstappen scored in 2023 were consecutive, and that sequence is still ongoing. As a result, the two-time world champion can sniff the record of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel: the German took nine wins in a row in 2013. So at Zandvoort, Verstappen can already match that. A Grand Prix weekend later at Monza, the Dutchman could then break the record with a tenth win in a row.

One of Verstappen's lesser strengths in 2023 is qualifying, relatively speaking, of course. The Dutchman scored seven pole positions this season, and despite the two-time world champion being fastest in Q3 in Belgium, he does not officially get the pole because of the grid penalty. The most number of poles in a season is also in Vettel's name, with 15 in 2011. So Verstappen would have to take the pole in nine of the last 10 qualifying sessions to break this. The highest percentage of pole positions in a season is 87.5 per cent, which is already out of reach for the Red Bull driver.

Two records held by Michael Schumacher also come into sight for Verstappen. For instance, the Dutchman has been on the podium in all races so far, with Schumacher being the only driver ever to achieve this over a full season (in 2002). Therefore, Verstappen is well on course to share this record with the seven-time world champion.

Another record currently (still) in Schumacher's name is leading the championship for the most races in a row. The German led the World Championship for 37 races in a row during his dominant period at Ferrari at the beginning of this century. In Verstappen's case, the tally now stands at 29, and with his massive lead in the championship, it seems a matter of time before this record is broken. In Las Vegas, the Dutchman could reach 38 and break the record.