Sebastian Vettel shows true colours as Max Verstappen threatens his F1 legacy

16 September 2023 , 06:00

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Sebastian Vettel shows true colours as Max Verstappen threatens his F1 legacy

Sebastian Vettel said he "can only applaud" what Max Verstappen has achieved after the Dutchman broke his Formula 1 record for most consecutive race wins.

Vettel set a single-season record in 2013 when he notched up nine race wins in a row. That year, he won his fourth consecutive championship, further cementing his place as the most successful Red Bull driver since the team first entered F1.

He still has that crown, but only just. Verstappen is just six F1 race wins behind at the age of 25 and is about to secure his third championship success in as many seasons, having now broken Vettel's record of successive Grand Prix victories.

Verstappen made it 10 in a row last time out at the Italian Grand Prix, and could further extend it in Singapore this weekend. Asked about what the Dutchman is achieving with his old team, Vettel was very complimentary towards the man dominating the F1 world.

"The performance of the entire team, but especially that of Max, who does it consistently every weekend, is great," the German said. "It's a level where the competition is far away. You have to acknowledge that and you should leave it that way. That's why it's great that you can watch."

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Vettel was wary that Verstappen was likely to break his record. The Dutchman revealed as much when he said that, earlier on in his winning streak, his Red Bull predecessor had reached out to tell him that he was expecting it to happen.

Verstappen said: "I think at five wins in a row or something, Seb texted me and said, 'Well done, keep it up', and something like, 'You're going to do it'. Nine in a row is something very impressive and I never thought I would be on eight.

"It’s not something I have constantly like, 'I need to do this. I need to do this'. I'm not in this sport to try and break records. I'm just here to win in the moment."

Verstappen is aiming to make it 11 in a row this weekend, but struggled in Singapore practice on Friday. Unable to find balance in his car, he said after the end of the day's running: "We tried a few things in FP2 – some worked, some didn't, but we never really got the car together. There are a few things to figure out tonight. There are a few things that we don't understand, so that's what we have to look into."

Daniel Moxon