Formula 1: McLaren world title would add to Max Verstappen's legacy

A recent uptick in form for McLaren, coupled with Red Bull seemingly heading in the wrong direction with the development of the RB20, has allowed the Woking-based team to emerge as the heavy favorites to win the Formula 1 constructor championship for the first time since 1998.

Red Bull still own a 30-point advantage over McLaren in the constructor standings through 15 races on the record-breaking 24-race calendar, and they have led the standings for more than two years straight.

But McLaren have closed the gap in each of the last five and eight of the last nine races, after having trailed by 115 points through six events.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, McLaren are listed as -340 favorites to win the constructor championship, with Red Bull listed behind them at +250.

Three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen has won seven races for Red Bull this year, though all came within the season's first 10 races. His five-race losing streak is his longest since the 2020 season, back when he had just nine career wins to his name.

He now has 61, good for third place on the all-time wins list.

McLaren's Lando Norris just earned his second win of the season at Circuit Zandvoort and first since early May when he secured his first career victory in Miami. He trails Verstappen by 70 points in the driver standings and has outscored him by 11 over the course of the four most recent races.

Verstappen is still the -330 favorite to win a fourth world championship this year, with Norris listed behind him at +250 to win a first.

But whether or not the 26-year-old Dutchman wins a fourth title this year, a McLaren constructor title would help to grow his legacy in a very unique way.

Verstappen's first 20 wins all came in seasons during which his team did not win the constructor championship. That includes his 10 wins from 2021, when he won his first driver title, as Mercedes held off Red Bull in the team standings.

That type of season, one in which the driver champion's team did not win the constructor title, hadn't happened since Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 world championship for McLaren while Ferrari beat McLaren on the constructor side.

Should McLaren win this year's constructor title, Verstappen would have added at least seven more wins to that tally, bringing it to 27.

Only eight other drivers in Formula 1 history have ever won 27 races total.

Only one other driver has won more than 27 races in seasons during which his team did not win the constructor championship.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton leads all drivers with 105 career wins. Including his two this year, his total in years during which his team did not win the constructor championship is only 24 (though it's 20 if you consider the fact that McLaren scored more points than any team in 2007, only to be disqualified due to the espionage controversy).

Schumacher is second on the all-time list with 91 wins, and he leads all drivers with 32 victories in years during which his team did not won the constructor championship.

The sport's only other seven-time world champion carried Benetton to win his first two titles in 1994 and 1995, ultimately elevating the team to a constructor title in 1995. He went on to win five more titles, all in succession, with Ferrari to start the 21st century.

The only other drivers with at least 27 career wins are Sebastian Vettel (53), Alain Prost (51), Ayrton Senna (41), Fernando Alonso (32), Nigel Mansell (31), and Jackie Stewart (27). Prost leads this group with 21 wins in seasons during which his team did not win the constructor title.

Vettel had 19, Stewart had 15, Senna had 14, and Mansell had 10. Alonso had 18, but that number should really be 14 when you factor in McLaren's aforementioned 2007 disqualification.

Round 16 on the 2024 Formula 1 schedule is the Italian Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Monza beginning at 8:55 a.m. ET this Sunday, September 1. Verstappen is the two-time reigning winner of this race. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!