Max Verstappen has already secured his third victory of 2024, but the race weekend in Japan was also marked by achieving a special milestone. Thanks to his victory, he has broken through the barrier of leading for 3,000 laps.
2023 quickly became the year of Verstappen. The Dutchman dominantly clinched victory after victory, leaving the competition mostly in despair. Behind Verstappen, it was almost always tense, but it became clear: once he disappeared over the horizon, second place was the best anyone else could achieve.
Yet, his achievements didn’t stop there, as Verstappen also made his mark in the record books. His most notable milestone was the most consecutive victories, but the record-setting does not seem to be ending.
Continuing into 2024, the Dutchman is happily defending his status as one of the best drivers of all time. After four racing weekends, there was cause for celebration, as Verstappen has led for 3,000 laps.
With exactly 3,009 laps led, Verstappen now moves into fourth place in the list of most laps led, trailing only Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton.
- Lewis Hamilton: 5455 laps
- Michael Schumacher: 5111 laps
- Sebastian Vettel: 3501 laps
- Max Verstappen: 3009 laps
- Ayrton Senna: 2931 laps
- Alain Prost: 2683 laps
- Nigel Mansell: 2091 laps
- Jim Clark: 1943 laps
- Jackie Stewart: 1919 laps
- Fernando Alonso: 1773 laps
Moving up another spot?
In 2024, Verstappen already surpassed Ayrton Senna on the above list and has long kept other big names like Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Jackie Stewart behind him.
Fernando Alonso is also in the top ten, but it’s unlikely that he will catch up to the Dutchman. With twenty races still to go this season, Verstappen can set his sights on taking over third place.
Vettel, who holds the third spot, is enjoying his Formula 1 retirement, so the gap to the German four-time world champion can only shrink. The difference between them is 492 laps, and with a maximum of 1,228 laps still to be raced this season, there is a great chance that Verstappen will climb to third place. He might even break the 4,000 laps led barrier if all goes well this season.
Several races are on the calendar where Verstappen could make significant gains. In Monaco, 78 laps are planned, the race in Zandvoort will be contested over 72 laps, and in Canada, Austria, Hungary, Mexico, and Brazil, more than 70 laps are scheduled.
Things look promising for Verstappen, as he has performed well in Austria and Zandvoort in recent years. He also won the last three editions of the Mexico Grand Prix, and given the results of the first four race weekends, more dominant victories are likely to follow.
