Formula One champion Max Verstappen needed only a few seconds to stamp his authority on the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday aꦜnd win his seventh straight race of a crushingly dominant season.
Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton started from pol🐈e position ahead of Ver🌃stappen, who muscled him out at the first corner and never looked back.
Red Bull’s 12th strai🐈ght wi𒁃n, including the final race of 2022, broke McLaren’s record for consecutive team wins set in 1988.
“That was so enjoyable to driജve, 12 in a row that is unbelievable,” Verstappen said. ꦍ“Unbelievable. I was really enjoying that last stint.”
Verstappen is cruising toward a third straight F1 title. His ninth victory overall — complete with another bonus po🍎inꦓt for the fastest lap — means the 25-year-old Dutchman already leads his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by 110 points.
McLඣaren driver Laꦡndo Norris finished second for the second-straight race and Perez was third for a much-needed second podium in six races.
Verstappen’s career win total now stands at 44 — t🧸he same numb♊er as Hamilton’s car.
Hamil♑ton started from pole for the first time since the penultimate race of 2021 in Saudi Arabia — which was also when he won his record-extending 103rd F1 race. He has not won since.
He felt he had a chance after an impressive drive ♐in qualifying.
But Verstappen, who ꦓwon from 10th here last year, overtook a sluggish Hamilton as they dived into the first turn, while the McLarens of Norris and Oꦚscar Piastri jumped past Hamilton and dropped him down to fourth.
That🌌 is where he finished at the sinewy 4.4-kilometer (2.7-mile) Hungaroring track, one of the harde꧙st in F1 for overtaking.
Dan𓂃iel Ricciardo finished 13th for AlphaTauri on his F1 comeback and beat teammate Yuki Tsunoda i🦂n 15th.
