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The Dutchman has just won his second world championship, cementing his genius in Formula 1. Since his debut in the sport, he has been breaking records at every turn.
While all eyes are now on Max Verstappen's victory in Japan, the deeper story is his relentless progression in the sport's age-related record books, a trajectory that began well before his 2022 championship. By the time the Japanese Grand Prix took place, the Dutch driver had already racked up six pole positions, 12 race wins, and one world title, and the numbers were still climbing.
His first breakthrough came in 2015, when Verstappen, then 17, became the youngest driver to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix, a record that is unlikely to be broken now that drivers must be 18 to obtain a super license. That same season, in Malaysia, he not only scored points for Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), but also set a new record by becoming the youngest driver to score points in the modern era.
The following year, Verstappen joined Red Bull Racing, swapping places with Daniil Kvyat. In his first race for the senior team at the Spanish Grand Prix, the 18-year-old caused a sensation by leading a lap, finishing on the podium and, later in the season, claiming his first victory, once again becoming the youngest driver to achieve each of these feats. The Brazilian Grand Prix, in pouring rain, added another milestone: a daring overtake on Nico Rosberg at the Curva do Sol and the distinction of being the youngest driver to set the fastest lap. A year later, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Verstappen achieved his first Grand Slam, taking pole position, the win, the fastest lap, and leading every lap of the race. The season ended with his first world championship title, not with the record for the youngest champion, still held by Sebastian Vettel, but with a new record for consistency: 18 podium finishes, a record marred only by two collisions with Lewis Hamilton and a single race without points in Azerbaijan.
The 2022 race in Japan added a historic note: Verstappen became the second driver under the age of 26 to win two world titles, joining Sebastian Vettel on this exclusive list. The ranking of the youngest double world champions is now as follows:
1. Sebastian Vettel – 24 years and 98 days (Japan 2011) 2. Max Verstappen – 25 years and 9 days (Japan 2022) 3. Fernando Alonso – 25 years, 2 months and 24 days (Brazil 2006) 4. Michael Schumacher – 26 years, 9 months, and 19 days (Pacific 1995) 5. Lewis Hamilton – 29 years, 10 months, and 16 days (Abu Dhabi 2014) 6. Ayrton Senna – 30 years, 7 months (Japan 1990) 7. Alain Prost – 31 years, 8 months, and 2 days (Australia 1986) Verstappen's record, built on a succession of “youngest ever” records, highlights a career that has redefined what is possible for a teenager at the pinnacle of motorsport.
