Verstappen is on track to join the list of drivers who have retained their first title

Max Verstappen is having an almost perfect season, despite a few reliability issues at the beginning of the season, especially in Bahrain and Melbourne. He also had a mishap at Silverstone where his floor was damaged by debris on the track. However, he still managed to finish in seventh place in that race.

Even in Spain, where he fell victim to a reliability issue with the opening of his DRS, he managed to take advantage of Charles Leclerc’s retirement to secure the victory. This week again, after an engine problem during the qualifying session, he made an excellent comeback to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, even though the track seemed to favor Ferrari.

When he was able to fully unleash his car, he was relentless. Winning eight out of the thirteen races this season, his exceptional driving skills and Ferrari’s mistakes have given him an 80-point lead over Charles Leclerc. Except for the Grand Prix races in Bahrain, Melbourne, and Silverstone where he encountered issues, he has always been on the podium, unlike Charles Leclerc who has only made it to the podium once in the last eight races.

At the end of the season, it is highly likely that the Dutchman will add his name to this list. He would thus find himself in good company.

The drivers who have retained their first world title in F1:

Max Verstappen seems to be on cloud nine this season, and the resurgence of Mercedes at the forefront should not concern him. In the last five races, Hamilton is the second driver to have scored the most points behind the reigning world champion. The return of the Silver Arrows in terms of performance even seems to be a blessing for Christian Horner’s driver.

After the race in Hungary, a journalist asked if Verstappen feared the comeback of the Mercedes. To which he replied, “No! It’s good that they are competitive. They will be able to take more points away from Ferrari, so I’m very happy!” (laughter).

The world champion seems very calm about the second half of the season, and has comfortably secured his position before the summer break, making for a great vacation for the Dutchman!

Note that by expanding the list to consecutive championship titles, without considering the first one won by the driver, this list also includes Hamilton, who didn’t retain his first title in 2008, Senna, who didn’t retain his first title in 1988, and finally Fangio, who won his first title in 1951 but couldn’t compete in 1952 due to a severe accident in Monza.

The drivers who have won two consecutive F1 titles in addition to the previous drivers: