Formula 1: Ferrari threat puts Verstappen in unique Schumacher territory

As a seasoned gamer who’s lived through countless Formula 1 seasons, I can say that this one has been quite the rollercoaster ride! Red Bull, once the undisputed king of the racetrack, now finds itself struggling to keep up with the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but as they say, every good game has its twists and turns.

Initially, Red Bull was heavily favored to claim their third straight F1 constructors’ title, but they have since fallen from that position, finding themselves in the role of second underdog, trailing McLaren. More recently, even Ferrari has moved ahead, making Red Bull the third choice for the championship title.

In the US Grand Prix held at Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari secured a 1st and 2nd place finish, thanks to Charles Leclerc, bringing them just eight points shy of Red Bull in the race for second position in the constructors’ championship.

Currently, Red Bull trails McLaren by 40 points, and given how quickly they’re being outperformed by Ferrari, it’s quite possible that they’ll drop to second place behind Ferrari in the upcoming weeks.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, McLaren leads as the strong contenders with odds of -850, while Ferrari comes next at +650, and Red Bull trails behind at +1300.

Ferrari threat amplifies Verstappen’s chance to move up unique list

As a gamer, I’m still holding onto the top spot in this racing game championship, with a comfortable lead of 57 points over Lando Norris and another 22 points over Leclerc. I’m feeling pretty confident that I’ll be crowned the champion, given my current odds of -450.

Regardless of who claims the driver title, if a construction championship is won by a team other than Red Bull (which appears more and more possible due to not only McLaren’s impressive speed but also Ferrari’s recent comeback), it would uniquely enhance Max Verstappen’s legacy.

This season, Verstappen has clinched an impressive seven races, making him more than double the number of wins any other driver has achieved so far. Prior to this year, he had already amassed 54 victories in total, with a significant 20 of those triumphs occurring in seasons when his team didn’t secure the constructor championship title.

If Red Bull fails to secure a third consecutive title this year, Max Verstappen, who is 27 years old, will still have achieved at least 27 career wins when considering only those seasons where his team didn’t claim the World Championship title.

In the history of Formula 1 racing, only eight other drivers have managed to win as many as 27 races throughout their careers, and among these elite drivers, just one has achieved this feat when his team didn’t claim the championship title.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who ranks second on the overall Formula 1 victories list with 91 wins, triumphed in 32 races during seasons when his teams didn’t claim the top spot in the constructor championships.

Let’s have a look at the only other seven drivers who even have 27 career Formula 1 wins.

Here are the win counts for some renowned Formula One drivers: Lewis Hamilton has 20 out of his personal best 105 victories, Alain Prost has 21 out of 51, Sebastian Vettel has 19 out of 53, Jackie Stewart had 15 out of 27, Ayrton Senna had 14 out of 41, Fernando Alonso has 14 out of 32, and Nigel Mansell has 10 out of 31.

In 2007, McLaren earned more points than any other team, causing a reduction of four from Hamilton’s total (leaving him with 24) and Alonso’s total (giving him 18). However, they were later disqualified due to the espionage scandal, resulting in Ferrari being named as the official constructor world champions for that year.

Five Formula 1 races remain on the 2024 schedule, with the Mexico City Grand Prix kicking off at race number 20 this weekend. This event will be broadcast live on ABC from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where Verstappen has won five times previously. The race begins at 3:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 27. Don’t miss out! Sign up for a free trial of FuboTV and catch all the action!

2024-10-24 18:02