Dominant Verstappen ripping through the F1 record books

LONDON : Max Verstappen is rewriting the record books, ready to overtake some of Formula One's all-time greats in what looks ominously like becoming the most one-sided of seasons.

Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix 'Grand Slam' win was a career 40th for Red Bull's dominant double world champion and left him one behind Ayrton Senna, with Alain Prost's tally also in his sights.

The Dutch 25-year-old was quickest in every practice session, led every race lap from pole position at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya and also took a bonus point for fastest lap.

Fleeting hopes that Verstappen's Mexican team mate Sergio Perez could put up a fight seem to have evaporated, with Verstappen already a mighty 53 points clear after seven of 22 races.

A third title seems assured and if domination can be a turn-off for neutral fans, although a feature of the sport through the ages, there is still a fascination with the numbers as Red Bull and their driver press on.

Verstappen has led the championship for more than a year while Red Bull have won the last eight races in a row, including last year's season-ender in Abu Dhabi and all seven this season.

No team has ever won every race in a season - McLaren won all but one in 1988 with Senna and Prost - but Verstappen recognised in Barcelona that Red Bull could do that, even if it looked unlikely.

Red Bull have won 17 of the last 18 races, compared to McLaren's 15 out of 16 in 1988.

Verstappen set the record of 15 wins in a season last year and he already has five in 2023, including the last three, with 15 more races to be run and no immediate end in sight to the domination.

"They are so far ahead," said Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, after finishing runner-up on Sunday, of his team's