Max Verstappen smiling and holding a trophy after winning the 2022 USA grand prix

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands) has earned his 14th first-place finish of the season at the Mexican Grand Prix, surpassing Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel (both Germany) for the record of most Grand Prix wins by a driver in a Formula One season.

Verstappen started the race in pole position and maintained a comfortable lead throughout, finishing 15 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton (UK) in second place. Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez (Mexico) rounded out the podium in third.

The Dutch driver equalled the record a week ago in Austin, Texas, at the US Grand Prix, where he came out on top after a thrilling battle with Hamilton.

Although there are more races this season compared to those in which the German drivers achieved their record 13 wins, Verstappen managed to equal the total in the same number of races as Vettel – 19 – and just one more than Schumacher.

Following his win in Mexico City, Verstappen now has a better win percentage (70%) than Vettel had in 2013 (68%). If he wins the remaining two Grand Prix in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, he will also top Schumacher (72%).

Max Verstappen celebrating his 13th victory of the season at the 2022 United States Grand Prix

Verstappen’s latest Guinness World Records title comes over seven years after his first, which he achieved at the 2015 Malaysia Grand Prix as the youngest driver to finish a Formula One World Championship race, aged 17 years 180 days. He broke Jaime Alguersuari’s (Spain) record by almost two years.

Driving for Red Bull’s secondary team, Toro Rosso, Max finished seventh in the race, breaking another record as the youngest driver to claim a Formula One World Championship point.

The previous record holder was Daniil Kvyat (Russia), who also drove for Toro Rosso when he finished ninth in the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, aged 19 years 134 days. Kvyat was promoted to the main Red Bull team for the 2015 season, whilst Verstappen would go on to take his seat – and record – at Toro Rosso.

A year later, after the fourth Grand Prix of the 2016 season, Max made the switch over to Red Bull Racing after Kvyat was demoted back down to Toro Rosso.

Just days later, Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to win a Formula One World Championship race, aged 18 years 228 days.

He also became the first Dutchman to win an F1 race and only the second to secure a podium finish; the first was his father, Jos Verstappen.

Sebastian Vettel was the previous youngest Grand Prix winner, aged 21 years 72 days when he won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for Toro Rosso.

When we awarded him his Guinness World Records certificate in 2016 for becoming the youngest F1 race winner, Max told us what was going through his mind as he drove the final laps. "You are leading the race, but you just have to make no mistakes and focus on yourself," he said.

"Make no mistakes. Make no mistakes. And make sure to be first out of the last corner."

Max Verstappen was also behind the wheel when Red Bull achieved the fastest Formula One pit stop ever, taking just 1.82 seconds to change all four tyres at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.

This was the third time that Red Bull had broken the record during the 2019 season; first at the British Grand Prix (1.91 seconds) and then at the German Grand Prix (1.88 seconds).

Red Bull clinched the 2022 World Constructor’s Championship following Verstappen’s victory at the US Grand Prix - a fitting tribute to their founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, who passed away a day before the race.

Max has already secured this season’s World Drivers’ Championship – his second in a row – following a win at the Japan Grand Prix in round 18.

"My favourite [records] were always in sports because I’m in sports as well, so I was always checking those things out and of course I’m very happy to have my own record." – Max Verstappen (2016)

Max Verstappen holding a Guinness World Records certificate