Where does Verstappen's dominant 2023 season stack up compared to others?

It's becoming increasingly apparent that Max Verstappen should, in all likelihood, be crowned the 2023 World Drivers' Champion by the end of the year.  

With 10 wins out of 12 races, and a win rate of 83% this season alone, Max is clearly on another level, and ready to break records, but where does 2023 compare to other dominant seasons of some of the sport's greatest drivers at their respective halfway points?

Most recently, Lewis Hamilton won the 2020 season in formidable fashion, winning 5 of the first 8 races, which marked the halfway point of a complicated season in the sport, where racing was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In the indomitable W11, Hamilton managed a win rate of 62.5% by the halfway point of the season, and increased that to 64% by the end of the year, equaling his 4-time personal record of 11 wins in a season, this time out of 17 races.

This is extremely impressive for a driver, which only makes Verstappen and Red Bull's performance this year that much more monumental.

Before Verstappen was a household name in F1, Sebastian Vettel was the wunderkind at Red Bull Racing.  

In 2013, the season of his last world championship, 'Seb', as he is affectionately known, achieved 13 wins out of 19 races in total, a win rate of 68%, but his season didn't start out as dominant as it ended.

Out of the first 10 races before the summer break, Vettel only managed 4 wins, however, after the break ended, Seb achieved one of the most impressive statistics in motorsport history.

He won all 9 races from the halfway point to the end of the season, a feat that could soon be matched by Verstappen, who, as of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, is on an 8 race win streak.  

No matter what, Vettel helped lay the groundwork for Red Bull being a powerhouse of F1, and the marks he left on the track will stay until time and rain wash them away.

None of the drivers mentioned so far have had a season start quite like Verstappen, but Michael Schumacher in 2004 has him beat.  

In 2004, Schumacher won 8 of the first 9 races before the halfway point of the season.  

As a reminder, Verstappen's win rate before the halfway point is 83%, compared with Schumacher's 89%.  

Schumacher's dominance through the season did wane slightly, however, and in total, he achieved wins in 13 of the 18 total races that year (72% win rate).  

Schumacher was no stranger to dominance, having had commanding seasons in 2002 and 1995, and winning 6 titles before 2004.

Schumacher never got his hands on the championship trophy again, however, and retired two years later after losing the championship to Fernando Alonso twice consecutively,.

His name is forever etched in the tablets of F1 greatness, not only for his achievements but for his dedication to the world of F1.

Before Schumacher's 5 years of relative dominance, you have to go back to 1992 and Nigel Mansell's maiden title to witness a pairing of driver and machinery so formidable.

Mansell was known as one of the most persistent, talented, and gritty drivers on the grid by the time 1992 rolled around, but he had never accomplished the ultimate dream in the sport to attain the World Drivers' Championship.

Lucky for him, in 1992 he was given possibly the most advanced car for its day in racing history, the Williams FW-14B.

The Williams FW-14B was designed by Adrian Newey, a renowned aerodynamicist, and featured cutting-edge technology, including an active suspension system that provided significant advantages on the track.

Mansell's driving prowess combined with the exceptional capabilities of the Williams FW-14B led to a remarkable start to the season, where he was victorious in 75% of the first half of the races, winning 6 out of the first 8 events and ultimately claiming the title with 5 races to go.

At the current rate, Red Bull in 2023 will go down as one of the most domineering forces in F1 history.

Only time will tell if they can keep their dominance afloat this year, but with Max at the wheel and a team like Red Bull backing him, we can expect records might be broken this season, and in the seasons to come.