Formula 1: Max Verstappen goes full circle with Schumacher achievement
By Asher Fair
Max Verstappen completed a trend involving both his family and the Schumacher family that was started back in the 1994 Formula 1 season.
With a last-lap pass of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton in the 22nd and final race of the 2021 season at Yas Marina Circuit, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen snatched away what would have been a record-breaking eighth world title for the Mercedes driver, earning his first.
In doing so, he completed a trend that had begun in 1994 and involved the sport’s only other seven-time world champion: Michael Schumacher.
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It was in 1994 when Max’s father Jos made his Formula 1 debut, and it was Schumacher who went on to win his first world championship that season.
Schumacher would go on to win another one in 1995 before reeling off a record-breaking five in a row from 2000 to 2004.
Now skip ahead 27 years: Michael’s son, Mick, made his Formula 1 debut this past season, competing full-time for Haas, and it was Max who earned his first world championship, ironically preserving Schumacher’s own record by doing so.
Verstappen kept Hamilton and Schumacher tied atop the all-time list with seven, and he prevented Hamilton from matching Schumacher’s consecutive titles record of five.
Take about full circle.
Of course, there were naturally a few differences. First of all, unlike Max and Mick in 2021, neither Jos nor Michael competed for the whole season in 1994. Additionally, Jos and Michael were teammates that season, whereas Max and Mick were not.
In fact, Mick’s Haas team failed to score a single point for the first time in their six-year existence last year. Mick’s 12th place finish at the Hungaroring is his career-best result, and it was the American team’s top finish of the year.
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How many more world titles will Verstappen win? Will Hamilton end up breaking Schumacher’s record with an eighth after all? The 2022 season is scheduled to get underway at Bahrain International Circuit with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, March 20.