Formula 1: That’s why Verstappen will also drive against Vettel in 2021


Max Verstappen has so far led 504 laps in the 2021 Formula 1 season.
Interesting: For Verstappen, who is considered a “child prodigy”, it would be the first major title in motorsport ever. Before entering Formula 1, Hamilton won titles in Formula Renault, Formula 3 and GP2. In the premier class he was involved in a world championship fight ten times. He emerged as the winner seven times. Only in his debut season 2007 (second behind Raikkonen), 2010 (fourth, world champion Vettel) and 2016 (second behind Rosberg) did he lose out.
Verstappen, on the other hand, has never fought for the World Cup and has never won a title in any junior series. In his only year in formula racing, 2014, he finished third in the Formula 3 Euro Series as a rookie. Master then: Esteban Ocon. Before Formula 3, he had only contested a few races in the Florida winter series. Then it went straight to Formula 1.
So Hill believes “Max is now finding it difficult to keep calm. He can already see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. That little light that tells you, ‘You can become a world champion.’ Gosh, stay cool there! It can go and spin so fast. It is also the case now that he has a lot more to lose. “

Sebastian Vettel leads the 2011 Brazilian GP.
But: the statistics are not exactly accurate. Because leading laps are one thing, what percentage of possible laps a driver drove in the front, the other. The legendary Scot Jim Clark is clearly number one. In 1963, he was at the top 71.47 percent of the laps. For comparison: Vettel brought it “only” to 65.23 percent in 2011, Verstappen is currently at 50.91.
Leadership laps in one season
2. Nigel Mansell 1992: 694/1036, 66.99%
3. Sebastian Vettel 2013: 684/1131, 60.48%
4. Michael Schumacher 2004: 683/1122, 60.87
5. Michael Schumacher 1994: 646/1046, 61.76%
6. Lewis Hamilton 2020: 613/1037, 59.11%
7. Lewis Hamilton 2015: 587/1149, 51.09%
8. Mika Häkkinen 1998: 576/1015, 56.75%
9. Lewis Hamilton 2016: 566/1268, 44.64%
10. Michael Schumacher 2002: 558/1090, 51.19%
11. Ayrton Senna 1988: 553/1031, 53.64%
12. Michael Schumacher 2000: 548/1074, 51.02%
13. Michael Schumacher 2001: 533/1065, 50.05%
14.Lewis Hamilton 2017: 527/1196, 44.06%
15.Lewis Hamilton 2019: 511/1262, 40.49%
16. Jim Clark 1963: 506/708, 71.47%
17. Max Verstappen 2021: 504/990, 50.91%
18. Ayrton Senna 1990: 500/1052, 47.53