2023 F1 Season: Two-time Formula 1 world champion from Netherlands Max Verstappen set another record in the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars, when he eclipsed former Red Bull Racing legend Sebastian Vettel’s nine consecutive wins in the world championship and became the first and only racer in the history of the sports to have won ten races in a row. The 25-year-old Hasselt-born racing sports superstar achieved this unparalleled feat at the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, with both him and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez seeing off the cars in red in Monza.
Ferraris Went All Out Against Red Bulls
After he secured wins at the United States, Monaco, Spain, Canada, Austria, Britain, Hungary, Belgium and Netherlands in the 2023 F1 Season, Verstappen was tied with Vettel for nine consecutive wins in the most famous racing sports in the world. With the goal of double-digit victories in mind and boosted by his home race win last weekend, the 25-year-old Dutchman was almost unstoppable during Qualifying Day of the Italian Grand Grix in the 2023 F1 Season. Nevertheless, a resistant Carlos Sainz Jr. was able to surpass Verstappen’s final effort in Q3 with a margin of 0.013 second, prompting many to think that the Ferraris had a chance to halt the Dutchman’s incredible run of victories at their home race.
Yuki Tsunoda was the first casualty of the Italian Grand Prix in the 2023 F1 Season, when his AlphaTauri had an engine failure right before the race was started, delaying the race for a good 23 minutes; The rest of the plot rolled out exactly how people would have thought of this race prior to the battle in Monza: The Horses versus the Bulls. with the latter once again showing its almighty power over the former.
Sainz got off to a great start by cutting Verstappen off on Lap 1, preventing the defending world champion from overtaking him for his hard-earned P1 position on Qualifying Day. The Spaniard continued to defend for his life and managed to keep Vertsappen at bay with some fierce defending as seen on Lap 6, before the first lockup of the race saw the Dutchman finally get pass the older racer for the lead. The feisty Sainz did make efforts to regain his position, but to no avail as Verstappen’s superior speed was unmatched in the 2023 F1 Season thus far.
You May Also Like: Harry Kane Scored Impressive Brace on German Bundesliga 1 Home Debut as Bayern Munich Beat Augsburg 3-1
View this post on Instagram
Third World Title for Verstappen Soon in the 2023 F1 Season
While the two-time world champion Verstappen was leading the pack and working towards his ten wins in a row at Monza, his teammate Checo was determined to show his strength with the same Red Bull Racing machinery. The 33-year-old, who started the gird at fifth place, first passed Mercedes’s George Russell on Lap 16, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on Lap 32 for a podium finish. Pérez then stumbled across the opposing Sainz, who was giving all sorts of trouble to his teammate Verstappen earlier in the race.
With eight laps remaining in the Italian Grand Prix of the 2023 F1 Season, Checo knew he had no time to waste and closed on the 29-year-old Spaniard for second place, but the Mexican had to wait until three laps later to finally wave goodbye to ensure a one-two finish for Red Bulls Racing. The final few laps in Monza saw both Ferraris going at each other to provide a thrilling finish to their home grand prix.
Sainz and Leclerc, who were in third and fourth places respectively, went back and forth with one another and displayed controlled aggression in tight battles without hurting their teammates’ car. The end of this climax witnessed the older Sainz emerge as the third best driver of the day as well as his first podium finish in the 2023 F1 Season and the first since Singapore last October.
A 10/10 performance today @redbullracing 🏆
To win 10 races in a row, and 15 consecutive races as a team, is unbelievable! 💪 I’m beyond proud to achieve this milestone together 👏
Today we will enjoy this moment and then we will keep pushing for more ☝
#ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/Cj8DPqmxzN
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 3, 2023
Eight Races to Go in the 2023 F1 Season
With the all-important record of 10 consecutive wins in a row bagged, Verstappen now looks forward to finish the season on a high note. The two-time defending world champion is leading the pack with 364 points and only time is separating him from winning his third successful crown. The 2023 F1 Season will resume a fortnight later, where the night race of the Singapore Grand Prix is set to take place.
If you are also a fan of football in addition to being a racing sports fanatic, feel free to check here out for the latest happenings in the world of football!
