Verstappen's Winning Streak: Can He Join F1's Elite Seven-in-a-Row Club?
Jul.20 - The 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix doesn't look and certainly isn't a decisive race for the fate of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship. However, the 11th race of the calendar could definitely become a memorable one, famous or infamously, depending on fans' allegiances, due to Red Bull's quest for an unprecedented 12th consecutive victory.
That feat has never been achieved by a constructor in F1 history, not even by McLaren and its 1988 challenger, the MP4/4.
Red Bull has won each of the 10 races this year, so far, and won the finale of the 2022 F1 championship at Abu Dhabi. Max Verstappen has won eight of the 10 races in 2023, and his teammate Sergio Pérez won the other two, at Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. Verstappen is currently on the largest winning streak of his career, with six wins in a row, and could become the fifth driver in history to win at least seven races in a row, joining Sebastian Vettel (he holds the record at nine in a row in 2013), Alberto Ascari (seven between 1952 and 1953), Michael Schumacher (seven in 2004) and Nico Rosberg (seven between 2015 and 2016).
The RB19 has its two drivers at the top of the World Drivers' Championship, with Verstappen leading comfortably with 255 points, 99 ahead of Pérez (156).
Fernando Alonso (137 points) is still third in the WDC, although his car hasn't looked like the second-best in the field in the last couple of events, which could definitely change in Hungary, given the twisty nature of the circuit. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton is fourth in the WDC with 121 points, and both Hamilton and Alonso look menacing for Pérez's position as runner-up in the championship, even though the cars of Aston Martin and Mercedes aren't close to the performance of the Red Bull.
Carlos Sainz is fifth in the WDC for Ferrari with 83 points, followed by Mercedes' George Russell (82) and the other Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc (74). Lance Stroll is eighth in the championship for Aston Martin with 44 points, while McLaren's Lando Norris has 41 points and scored 30 in the last two races.
Alpine's Esteban Ocon is 10th in the WDC with 31 points, but hasn't scored points in the last two Grands Prix.
Red Bull leads the World Constructors' Championship comfortably having won all 10 races so far and has scored 411 points. Red Bull still has more points than Mercedes (second place in the WCC with 203 points) and Aston Martin (third - 181 points) combined.
Ferrari is fourth in the WCC with 157 points and could be closing in on Aston Martin's position in the upcoming events. McLaren (Norris and Oscar Piastri) is now fifth in the World Constructors' Championships with 59 points after two great outings at Austria and Silverstone. Alpine (Ocon and Pierre Gasly) has scored 47 points this year and is sixth among teams, but hasn't scored with both cars in the last three races.
Williams (11 points with Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant) is seventh in the WCC, tied with Haas (11 points with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg). While both teams' best result this year is a seventh place, Williams is ahead because its second-best finish in a race is an eighth place, while Haas' second-best finish in a race this year is 10th.
Alfa Romeo (nine points with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu), and AlphaTauri (two points with Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck De Vries) round out the 2023 F1 World Constructors' Championship positions so far.
AlphaTauri, which hasn't scored a point in the last six races, changed its drivers' lineup last week, with eight-time race-winner Daniel Ricciardo taking De Vries' spot in the team.
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A record-breaking 12th consecutive victory for Red Bull Ring is incoming, save for extraordinary circumstances.
Will be an interesting GP! Red Bull/Max can make history (again) while McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin all will be in the podium?
If RB and Max can win in Hungary , and there is a danger they won't because of the track chatacteristics , then Max can be in sight of Vettel's record of 9 in a row with Zaandvoort and Spa coming up then Monza after that.
If RB and Max can win in Hungary , and there is a danger they won't because of the track chatacteristics , then Max can be in sight of Vettel's record of 9 in a row with Zaandvoort and Spa coming up then Monza after that.
because of track characteristics? They've been good at all characteristics, high, medium, slow-speed, high & low-drag, etc.
Because
Yes track characteristics. Slow and medium speed corners , cannot make as much use of DRS. Hard to overtake.
It is a glorified go kart track and should be dropped from the calendar. They speak of maybe Monza and Spa getting dropped off the calendar but it should be Hungary.
Then I also think Monaco should be dropped if you are talking about exciting racing.
There is no point having tracks if the most exciting thing is about who gets pole and the race is boring.
The glamour of Monaco is not enough anymore.