Max Verstappen has made a remarkable mark on Formula 1 by achieving an extraordinary win rate during the ground effect era, securing his 46th victory at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. This feat means that by the end of this era, Verstappen will have won at least half of the races since the beginning of 2022, placing his dominance alongside some of the sport’s all-time greats.
To understand the significance of Max Verstappen’s ground effect dominance, it is helpful to compare his achievements with those of other multiple World Champions during their peak periods of control in the sport. This comparison sheds light on just how exceptional Verstappen’s performance has been in an era defined by strict regulations and fierce competition.
How Verstappen’s Success Measures Against Historic Peaks of F1 Champions
Before diving into the comparisons, it is important to clarify the approach taken. Rather than looking at drivers’ entire careers, the focus is strictly on their most dominant years or periods marked by consecutive championship wins or clusters of titles. These peak eras present a fairer context to evaluate Max Verstappen’s recent successes under the current ground effect regulations.
Max Verstappen’s initial title-winning season in 2021 resulted in 10 wins from 22 races in a closely contested championship against Lewis Hamilton. However, it is during the ground effect era, starting in 2022, that Verstappen’s dominance truly accelerated, highlighted by his sustained high win percentage despite evolving challenges and competition.
The following statistics are accurate as of the 2025 Italian Grand Prix and provide detailed insights into the performances of Verstappen alongside other legendary F1 champions during their dominant eras.
1. Alberto Ascari’s Peak Dominance in the Early 1950s
In his most successful seasons of 1952 and 1953, Alberto Ascari secured 11 victories, resulting in an impressive win rate of 68.75% during this period. Ascari won two World Championships and achieved 11 out of his 13 career wins in these two years, including sweeping all six races he entered in 1952 — excluding his retirement at the Indianapolis 500.
The scarcity of races and the lower reliability and safety standards of the time made each victory particularly challenging, underscoring the significance of Ascari’s performances. Despite the smaller sample size of events, his results stand out as a remarkable example of early F1 dominance.
2. Michael Schumacher’s Early 2000s Ferrari Mastery
Michael Schumacher’s reign from 2000 to 2004 saw him achieve 48 race victories, maintaining a win rate of 56.47% during his five consecutive World Championships with Ferrari. Schumacher’s 91 career wins came in part due to his exceptional consistency, technical skill, and the strength of the Ferrari team during this era.
The 2002 and 2004 seasons highlight Schumacher’s peak: in 2002, he finished on the podium in every race, with nine wins, and in 2004, he dominated with performances that included multiple lap records. Schumacher’s work ethic and synergy with the Scuderia produced one of the most dominant driver-car combinations in Formula 1 history.
3. Max Verstappen’s Current Ground Effect Era Performance (2022-2025*)
Currently in the midst of his ground effect era, Max Verstappen has claimed 46 victories out of the races held between 2022 and 2025, giving him a win percentage of 54.77%. By the conclusion of this ongoing cycle, Verstappen is on course to have won at least half the races held during these four seasons. He has secured three World Championships so far, with a potential fourth still in sight this year, depending on the final outcomes.
Verstappen’s 2023 campaign was the most successful in F1 history by race wins, with an astonishing 19 wins out of 22 races — a staggering 86.3% win rate. Red Bull’s RB18 and RB19 have been exemplary machines that helped Verstappen maintain a dominant position, although the competition has grown more intense heading into 2025.
Despite increased challenges from teams like McLaren this season, Verstappen’s ground effect era accomplishments place him firmly among Formula 1’s finest champions. His performances during this period will be a benchmark for future eras once F1 shifts to new regulations in 2026.
4. Jim Clark’s Mid-1960s Excellence with Team Lotus
Jim Clark, widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, had a win rate of 53.33% during his peak years from 1963 to 1965, winning 16 races and two World Championships. His 1965 season was particularly striking, as he won six consecutive races and secured almost every race he finished.
Clark’s dominance was also reflected in his perfect point-scoring records during his championship seasons. Tragically, his career was cut short by a fatal accident in 1968, but his legacy includes records such as the most Grand Slams (pole position, led every lap, won, and fastest lap) in F1 history.
5. Lewis Hamilton’s Turbo Hybrid Era Supremacy
From 2014 to 2020, Lewis Hamilton amassed 73 race wins at a 53.28% win rate, capturing six World Championships during one of the most competitive eras in modern F1. Hamilton’s move to Mercedes marked the start of his dominance in the turbo hybrid era, highlighted by intense rivalries, particularly with teammate Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton’s consistency during these years, paired with Mercedes’ technological edge — especially the record-breaking W11 car in 2020 — cemented his status as one of the sport’s top drivers, with nearly unparalleled success over a seven-year span.
6. Juan Manuel Fangio’s Unmatched Efficiency in Early F1
Juan Manuel Fangio is renowned for holding the highest overall win percentage in Formula 1 history, at 47.06% over his career. During his peak years between 1951 and 1957, he won 21 races with a 48.84% win rate, securing five World Championships.
Fangio’s strategy involved securing drives in the best cars available, and despite missing the Indianapolis 500 events included in the World Championship at times, his command over the sport during his career remains unmatched.
7. Sebastian Vettel’s Dominant Run in the Early 2010s
Between 2010 and 2013, Sebastian Vettel won 34 races, winning four World Championships with a 44.16% win rate in that period. His era coincided with Formula 1’s ban on refuelling and a highly competitive grid, culminating in a dominant 2013 season where he won nine consecutive races to close out the year.
Vettel’s tactful approach to qualifying and race strategy established him firmly as a dominant force during these years, fending off rivals such as Fernando Alonso through sheer pace and consistency.
8. Ayrton Senna’s Intense McLaren Rivalry and Peak Years
Ayrton Senna achieved 27 victories and three World Championships from 1988 to 1991, with a win percentage of 42.19%. His peak coincided with a legendary rivalry against teammate Alain Prost, and while Senna’s qualifying performance was exceptional, his race-day success was often hampered by retirements and incidents.
Senna’s aggressive driving and number of pole positions made him a formidable competitor; however, the 12 retirements during this era suggest that even more success could have been possible under different circumstances.
9. Mika Häkkinen’s Late 1990s Championship Push
Mika Häkkinen reached his peak form with two World Championships in 1998 and 1999, winning 13 races at a 40.63% success rate during these campaigns. Häkkinen’s career breakthrough came at the end of 1997, and these titles followed as he fought against Ferrari and former teammate David Coulthard.
His achievements during this period demonstrated resilience and skill, although Häkkinen retired from Formula 1 shortly after, entering a prolonged sabbatical from the sport.
10. Fernando Alonso’s Early Career Triumphs with Renault
Fernando Alonso’s dominant years came in 2005 and 2006, when he captured two World Championships and secured 14 race victories with a 37.84% win rate. Alonso became the youngest World Champion at the time in 2005, overcoming tough rivals like Kimi Räikkönen.
His second title involved a titanic battle with Michael Schumacher, showing his capacity to edge out established legends. While Alonso has yet to add further championships since, his driving talent remains widely respected.
11. Jackie Stewart’s Consistency and Success Across Five Years
Jackie Stewart won three World Championships from 1969 to 1973 and took 22 victories with a 36.07% win rate during this span. Partnering with Matra and Tyrrell, Stewart was known for his driving skill and staunch advocacy for improving safety standards in motorsport.
His victories were consistently spread across several seasons, though a retirement-heavy 1970 season somewhat limited his overall rank in comparisons of dominant eras.
What Verstappen’s Era Means for Formula 1 History
Max Verstappen’s ground effect dominance places him in the company of Formula 1’s most legendary figures, reflecting a level of control over the sport rarely seen outside of mechanical superiority combined with exceptional skill. His sustained win percentage and record-breaking victories illustrate not only individual talent but also the strength of Red Bull’s engineering during this regulatory period.
As Formula 1 prepares for a new set of technical rules scheduled for 2026, the achievements of Verstappen and his contemporaries will be remembered as benchmarks for excellence in the ground effect era. While challenges have grown in 2025, Verstappen’s ability to adapt and maintain a high win rate confirms his enduring status among the sport’s elite.
This era helps redefine success metrics in a sport that constantly evolves, offering fans a chance to appreciate the nuances of dominance amid changing technologies and fierce rivalries — carrying forward a legacy alongside historic champions like Fangio, Schumacher, Senna, and Hamilton.
