Max Verstappen is aiming for more records at the Mexican Grand Prix
Sunday could be the day Max Verstappen breaks more Formula 1 records.
Verstappen heads into the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, ABC) hoping for his 16th win of the season. The 2023 Formula 1 champion took his 15th win of the season at the United States Grand Prix last week, tying the win record he set a season ago en route to his second title.
A win on Sunday not only means Verstappen is the winningest driver of all F1 seasons, it would also give him the most dominant F1 season ever, even if he fails to score any points in the final three races of the season.
Michael Schumacher won 13 of 18 races in 2004, securing his seventh and final title. His 72.2% win rate ranks as the best win rate of any driver in a single season for nearly 20 years.
If Verstappen takes his 16th win in 19 races in Mexico City, he will have a win rate of 84% and is guaranteed to have a win rate of no less than 72.7% for the entire 2023 season.
The oddsmakers are once again optimistic about Verstappen’s chances of winning, although the chances for the No. 2 favorite are not bad either. Verstappen goes into the Mexican Grand Prix at -275 and takes victory. With an incredibly long straight and some high-speed corners, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is well suited to Red Bull’s car.
Lewis Hamilton is the No. 2 favorite to win at +600 after his unofficial second place finish at the USGP. Hamilton was disqualified after the race due to excessive wear on his car’s floorpan, but the speed he and Mercedes showed throughout the weekend did not appear to be a coincidence or the result of a car not complying with Formula One regulations.
If Hamilton and Mercedes can keep up with Verstappen again in Mexico – and of course not be disqualified – then that will be a good sign for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Mercedes’ George Russell won this race a season ago and it wouldn’t be surprising if Hamilton had another good race in Mexico at odds of +500 or better ahead of Brazil.
Here are some bets we like ahead of the 19th Grand Prix of the season.
