And it's just one of the records that tumbled at this weekend's 2023 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix.
Sir Lewis Hamilton put together an epic lap that landed him in pole position for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. But the excitement of Hamilton fans was quickly dashed on race day. Once again, the day again belonged to Max Verstappen, who claimed victory with the most significant gap we've seen this year. Verstappen finished 33.731 seconds ahead of Lando Norris in second place and 37.603 ahead of bronze medalist Sergio Perez. Hamilton finished in fourth, 39.134 seconds behind, while fifth place went to Oscar Piastri, who was more than a minute behind.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was a rather dull race, however. It's odd for a track that most drivers describe as go-kart-like. Only the bravest dare overtake, and the layout is brilliant for defending.
Still, a few highlights are worth mentioning, and a few new records must be discussed.
Key Moments
The most exciting part of the race happened within the first 15 seconds. Hamilton got off to a slow start, giving Verstappen the edge going into the first corner. Verstappen cut him off, giving Norris and Piastri in the McLarens a chance to also pass the seven-time world champion.
After failing to get into Q3 on qualifying day since the Miami Grand Prix, Sergio Perez finally remembered what car he was driving. He qualified in ninth place and raced a mega effort to get on the podium. It was a nice recovery drive, but the best damage control trophy has to go to George Russell, who qualified 18th and dragged his Mercedes to sixth.
All eyes were on Daniel Ricciardo, making his highly-anticipated comeback. Ricciardo dragged his AlphaTauri into Q2 and started 13th on the grid. He got tagged in the opening stages, dropping to 18th, but battled his way back to 13th place, finishing ahead of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. That was Ricciardo's primary mission for this race, and he achieved it.
Championship Standings
It's pretty clear who the world champion will be this year. Verstappen has accrued 281 points, and his closest rival remains Checo with 171 points. As the gap between the two Red Bull drivers increases, the likelihood of Verstappen winning the championship early grows. Four sprint races are still left this season, making it harder to predict. If Verstappen continues to score an average of 25.5 points per race, he'll likely have it wrapped up in Qatar.
Thanks to an impressive third place on the podium, Perez has widened the gap between his second place (171 points) and Fernando Alonso (139 points). Hamilton is fourth with 133 points, followed by Russell with 90 points.
Second and third are still very much up for grabs. Alonso and Hamilton can still give Perez a hard time. At the same time, Norris is slowly creeping up on Russell, Sainz, and Leclerc. There's a 10-point split between the latter trio, and after two second-place finishes, Norris is in eighth position.
Unless an asteroid hits the Red Bull campus within the next week, the Milton Keynes-based team will likely win the Constructors' Championship in the next few races. Verstappen and Perez are consistent points scorers, as are the Mercedes duo, currently in second place. Red Bull has 452 points, more than double the 223 points Mercedes has amassed.
Aston Martin is third with 184 points, and Ferrari is fourth with 167 points. Here's where it gets interesting, however. McLaren's two drivers are consistent, and the upgraded car is a monster. Ferrari and Aston Martin are in trouble if McLaren can stay on form. Aston Martin only has one consistent driver, and Ferrari is, well, being Ferrari. (A nine-second pitstop, guys. WTF?)
Can McLaren climb up to third? If it does, everyone on the team is getting a brand-new McLaren Artura.
Tumbling Records
The Hungarian Grand Prix saw a few new records being set. The most talked about is the most consecutive wins by a team, which now belongs to Red Bull. Thanks to Verstappen and Perez, Red Bull beat a record that has been standing since 1988. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna won 15 out of 16 races that season, 11 of them in succession. Red Bull is now on 12 in a row and is eyeing a perfect season (McLaren's 1988 season is closest), but it also has the most season wins in its sights, Mercedes' 19-out-of-2021 in 2016.
With seven consecutive wins, Verstappen is also now in esteemed company. The only others who have managed this feat include Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher, and Nico Rosberg. Three more wins, and he'll surpass Sebastian Vettel's nine wins
Red Bull also claimed the fastest pit stop of the season, swapping Checo's tires in just 1.98 seconds. See why we keep on saying that it's not just the car…
And even though he didn't finish on the podium, we'd be remiss not to mention Sir Hamilton's achievements. He added one more pole position to his already impressive triple-digit pole and victory record. By claiming pole position, he also set the new record for the most poles by any driver at one circuit.
The next race is in Belgium this weekend at the infamous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It's the next sprint weekend, so it should be action-packed.
Keyword: Max Verstappen And Sergio Perez Beat F1 Record That's Been Standing Since 1988