With 12 race wins to his name this season, Max Verstappen heads to the 2022 United States Grand Prix in high hopes that he can follow up his second successive world title victory in Japan two weekends ago by breaking one of F1’s most desired records.
Just one victory shy of equalling the current record jointly held by German drivers Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, don’t be expecting Verstappen to take his foot off the pedal despite already winning the world championship this year.
The Dutchman needs to win two of the final four races in 2022 to take the record but whether he can manage that feat remains to be seen.
MORE: Which driver has the most wins in F1 history? Top 10 with most victories in Formula One
Which driver has recorded the most race wins in an F1 season?
Michael Schumacher (13 – 2004)
Back in 2004, German legend Michael Schumacher set the record for most race wins in a single F1 season when he came home victorious on 13 separate occasions.
Blessed with world class ability and a Ferrari car that proved dominant that year, Schumacher won 72.2% of the 18 races that were held, the highest percentage ever recorded in the sport.
He also recorded second place finishes in Italy and Belgium on his way to recording 148 points in the drivers’ world championship.
Sebastian Vettel (13 – 2013)
Fellow German Sebastian Vettel equalled Schumacher’s famous record back in 2013 when he romped home with the fourth of his four consecutive world championship titles.
Winning 13 out of 19 races on the calendar that year in his Red Bull car, Vettel emulated his idol growing up before he himself moved to Ferrari for a stint with the Italian team.
Amazingly when finishing a race in 2013, Vettel never finished below P4!
Max Verstappen (12 – 2022)
But the question is, with four races left of the 2022 season, can Red Bull’s Verstappen both draw level with and then beat the existing record for most wins in a season?
It’d take a brave man to not back the Red Bull driver not to do so.
Having won 12 races from 18 so far in 2022, the Dutchman has taken the chequered flag in six of his last seven outings and returns to the US Grand Prix this weekend looking to add to his tally.
List of top ten most wins in a single F1 season
| Driver | Team | Season | Wins |
| Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 2004 | 13 |
| Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | 2013 | 13 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2022 | 12* |
| Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 2002 | 11 |
| Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | 2011 | 11 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 2014 | 11 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 2018 | 11 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 2019 | 11 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 2020 | 11 |
| Lewis Hamilton x2 & Max Verstappen | Mercedes/Red Bull | 2015/2016/2021 | 10 |
* denotes ongoing drivers’ world championship.