Red Bull has broken the record for the most consecutive race wins in Formula 1 history after Max Verstappen secured the side’s 12th in a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The reigning World Champions had equalled McLaren’s record from 1988 last time out at Silverstone with its first triumph at the British Grand Prix since 2012.
Despite the all-conquering RB19 being kept off pole position for only the second time this year on Saturday, Verstappen seized the lead at Turn 1 and marched onwards to ensure a Red Bull car took the chequered flag first for the 12th time in succession.
After being beaten at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix by Mercedes in the penultimate round of last year, Verstappen comfortably won the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Since then Red Bull has been undefeated in F1, taking the win in all 11 races to be held so far in 2023. However, the Austrian outfit must scoop the win in Belgium next weekend to exceed McLaren’s tally of managing 11 successive wins in the same campaign.
Mercedes embarked on winning streaks of 10 on three successive occasions at the height of its dominance during the early years of the V6 turbo-hybrid engine era.
Nevertheless, the German marque still upholds the all-time F1 record for the most victories in a single season, collecting 19 of the 21 wins available in the 2016 season.
But that record is looking in grave danger with Red Bull needing nine wins from the remaining 12 races. The Milton-Keynes squad achieved 17 victories across 22 races last term – but it appears inevitable it will beat that benchmark number this year.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s second successive trip to the top step of the podium at the Hungaroring was his seventh win on the spin, leaving him two shy of Sebastian Vettel’s record from 2013.
“As a young kid, I remember watching the McLaren of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, and Ron Dennis was an incredible Team Principal, but to claim that record is an incredible feat, and a testament to the hard work from the team,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner commented to Sky F1.
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