Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; (from left) Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko and Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen of Team Netherlands and Team Principal Christian Horner celebrate winning the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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End of the Max Verstappen Era – The Most Dominant Streak in Formula 1 History Comes to an End!

Max Verstappen loses the most dominant Formula 1 streak

Formula 1 has witnessed some of tthe best moments in the history of the sport since the start of the ground effects era. The way the past three years have shaped Formula 1 will forever stay etched in the heart of Formula 1 fans. Among all the action, there was a man who stayed as the center of attention of the entire Formula 1 paddock. He managed to snatch the spotlight from one of the legends of the sport. Furthermore, he created his own legacy which people couldn’t help but marvel at. Yes, we are talking about the Red Bull Racing ace and the Dutch winning machine, Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen is a name which resonates on the mouth of every Formula 1 fan when you talk about the past years. He started off as one of the youngest drivers of the sport and claimed the top step of the podium in his very first race at Red Bull Racing. Verstappen was a man on mission. He got his breakthrough in the 2021 season. Verstappen shattered the dreams of Hamilton’s eighth championship at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and claimed his first driver’s title. Since then, he has not looked back and has kept progressing forward.

Max Verstappen Loses the Championship Lead to Norris

The start of the 2022 season might be considered a different story altogether. For the first time in many years, Ferrari were leading the championship comfortably with Charles Leclerc driving them to victories. However, nobody would’ve anticipated that the defending world champion Max Verstappen would turn things around for himself. Max Verstappen took the lead of the championship from Leclerc at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix and made a statement by winning the championship with four rounds to spare in the 2022 season.

A dominant streak! 🤯

Max Verstappen's record-breaking lead of the drivers' championship dates back to May 2022, but has now come to an end ⏪#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/rOjCKD6voK
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 17, 2025

The following season saw the meaning of true dominance in Formula 1. Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen clinched the glory of winning in the pinnacle of motorsports numerous times. Verstappen and Red Bull created records and smashed other’s records in such a way that people wondered if Formula 1 has changed forever. It was in 2024, that Verstappen and the Red Bull found their match. However, no matter what came his way, Verstappen never let go of his championship lead as he moved forward to claim a fourth title and equal Sebastian Vettel.

Throughout his journey at Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen led the Formula 1 world championship for 63 races and 1029 days. The entire grid of 19 drivers and 9 other teams collectively could not defeat him even when his car wasn’t the fastest in the championship. It took the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and an incredibly efficient and fast McLaren to end this great streak in Formula 1 at the hands of Lando Norris. Lando came out as his rival in the 2024 championship. And now, he is setting the bar which Verstappen will have to beat to regain the lead of championship.

Has Max Verstappen created an undefeatable legacy in Formula 1?

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Formula 1 2025 Season

Max Verstappen

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Rohan Singh

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.