Max Verstappen's class response as he draws level with Lauda and Clark in all-time winners list

Max Verstappen’s 25th Formula 1 race victory was a significant one for several reasons in Azerbaijan, with him drawing level with Niki Lauda and Jim Clark in the history books for wins in the sport.

The Dutchman has had a brilliant career so far and it is easy to forget that he is still just 24, with at least another decade, should he so wish, at the top of the sport remaining.

Indeed, he could seriously set new records if he remains on top of his game and continues to have a great car as he does this year, such is the talent at his disposal, with him now in the top ten for most wins in the sport.

Of course, he has a long way to go to get to Lewis Hamilton’s 103 race wins but he’s already going to go down as one of the most talented to get behind the wheel at the pinnacle of motorsport, no matter what.

He has 25 victories on the board now, then, and that has seen him tie with two of the greats of F1; Niki Lauda and Jim Clark, who won three and two world championships respectively and are seen as a pair of drivers who belong in the pantheon of F1 stars.

For Verstappen, though, whilst it’s nice to be on the same number as them, he admits it comes with the caveat of having more races to compete in, and all also depends on having a strong car:

“Yeah, we also do more races a year right so if you have a good car it’s not really comparable but it’s nice for the books,” he said in response to F1’s Tom Clarkson in the post-race press conference in Baku.

Ultimately, Max is right as well and that’s why it’s hard to always compare the greats of the sport given the changes we’ve seen across eras.

Clark and Lauda’s periods in the sport both saw smaller calendars compared to the modern age, whilst car reliability was nowhere near what