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Spain stats - Verstappen surpasses Vettel as F1’s youngest winner

15 May 2016

Just days after completing his surprise switch from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, Max Verstappen wrote his name into the record books with a remarkable win in Spain. We looks at the statistics that matter…
  • At 18 years and 228 days, Max Verstappen is the youngest race winner in F1 history. The Dutchman was two years and 210 days younger than the previous youngest winner, Sebastian Vettel.

  • But Verstappen did not just become F1’s youngest winner, he also became the sport’s youngest race leader and youngest podium finisher – accomplishments he can add to his existing records as the youngest F1 points scorer and the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix, both achieved last season.

  • Verstappen is the first Dutch driver to win an F1 race, and just the second to stand on an F1 podium. The other of course is his father, Jos, who scored two podium finishes in 1994 with Benetton.

  • Verstappen is the first driver to win in his first race with a new team since Fernando Alonso won on his Ferrari debut in 2010. 
  • Verstappen’s victory is the first time Red Bull have ever won a Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel has not been in the team. 

  • The Dutch teenager’s victory also ensured the Spanish Grand Prix of a tenth different winner in the last ten years. No other race can boast such variety.

  • For the first time this season Ferrari finished with both drivers on the podium. Kimi Raikkonen scored his second podium in a row – the first time he has taken consecutive rostrums since 2013 when he finished third and second respectively in Singapore and Korea with Lotus.

  • Sebastian Vettel may have lost his record as F1’s youngest winner, but his record 9-race win streak remains intact as Nico Rosberg’s own victory run was halted at seven.

  • Mercedes win streak was also halted at 10 – one race victory shy of McLaren’s all-time record from 1988.
  • It was Rosberg’s first retirement since Russia last year, but more importantly, with Lewis Hamilton also going out, Mercedes recorded their first double retirement since Australia 2011.

  • It was also the first time the Silver Arrows have failed to finish with at least one car in the points since the 2012 US Grand Prix, breaking a 62-race point-scoring streak.

  • Mercedes’ double retirement leaves Williams as the only team this season to have got both cars home in the points at every race.

  • Verstappen wasn’t the only Red Bull-backed driver to score a career-best result in Spain – Carlos Sainz also scored his highest ever finish of sixth.

  • And Toro Rosso returnee Daniil Kvyat ended his own tumultuous week by ensuring all four Red Bull-backed cars finished in the points with tenth. He also bagged his - and Toro Rosso's - first fastest lap, though it’s unlikely that will have softened the blow of seeing Verstappen win in his former race seat…