JAKARTA - Failing to finish once could change everything, but the latest statistics are in favor of Red Bull's Max Verstappen as he tries to prevent Lewis Hamilton from breaking his record eight Formula 1 world titles this season.
Victory at the US Grand Prix last weekend marked the 24-year-old Dutchman's eighth celebration of the 17 races he has run this season, compared to five wins for the seven-time world champion Mercedes.
In the 70-year history of Formula 1, there has only been one driver who won eight times in a season but did not emerge as world champion.
That came when Hamilton, who had 10 wins in 2016, lost to team-mate Nico Rosberg of Germany in the race for the world title.
P1 🔥 We did it 🤘 Great job guys, @redbullracing and @HondaRacingF1, really really good 💪 And you fans, thanks for all the support, just amazing 🙌 #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/B6lBH2fG4y
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 24, 2021
Austin also watched Verstappen extend a record that might not be his soon enough.
No other driver has had so many career wins without a title, like Verstappen, who has 18, ahead of the late Briton Stirling Moss with 16.
With five races remaining until the end of the season, Hamilton no longer stands a chance of matching the 11 wins he won in 2020, 2019, and 2018 and even the Briton is struggling to repeat his worst run of six wins in 2017 in the era of the Mercedes-dominated V6 turbo hybrid engine.
Verstappen can still match the record of 13 wins in a season held by Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013).
He is now 9-3 ahead of Hamilton in pole position and 13-12 in a podium finish, as the Briton won 5-4 in terms of fastest laps.
"Although Lewis has the experience and has won world championships, I don't see that as an advantage now," Australian Daniel Ricciardo said of Verstappen's maturity.
"I think Max has the ability, he has a pretty calm mind and he has proven that with a number of riders he has faced this year," said Ricciardo.
Overall it wasn’t easy today as the track is quite bumpy. We’ve got some work on our hands overnight, but we will be back at it tomorrow 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/J10dWgvh1Z
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 22, 2021
Hamilton, meanwhile, has never won a title in his absence from leading the standings to Austin, a circuit he has won five times in the last eight years and where he has locked down his two world titles.
This season he was six points behind Verstappen, and now the gap has doubled to 12 after the Austin race.
"I wouldn't call this an early conclusion at this stage of the season," 1996 world champion Damon Hill told Sky Sports.
"A lot of misfortune can happen in this sport and 25 points for every win means nothing if you don't finish, and it certainly can.
"He (Hamilton) needs to start winning again. It's eight to five wins, so it looks like the title belongs to Max at the moment."
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The next two races will take place in Mexico and Brazil, two grand Prix seen as favorable for Red Bull before the season concludes with triple headers in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi.
Qatar and Saudi are hosting the race in the evening and both countries are debuting on the F1 calendar this season.
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