Verstappen Is on Pace to Obliterate Hamiltonâs Records â and the British Media Can Barely Hide Its Panic Max Verstappen (pictured) turns 29 in September 2026. At 28, he has already racked up numbers that make Lewis Hamiltonâs achievements at the same age look modest by comparison. The Dutchman has started 236 Grands Prix, won 71 races, taken 48 poles, stood on 127 podiums, and collected 4 world titles. –by Mark Cipolloni– By contrast, when Hamilton reached the end of the 2013 seasonâthe year he turned 28 â he had contested just 129 races, scored 22 wins, and held only 1 world title. Verstappen has done in 107 fewer starts what took Hamilton years longer to achieve, and he is still in his prime. With 71 wins already, he sits just 34 short of Hamiltonâs all-time record of 105. At his current trajectory, even with the disruptive 2026 regulations, the records for most wins, most poles, and most titles are well within reach before he turns 35. That prospect is driving sections of the British media and fandom to distraction. Hamilton is their national heroâthe only British driver with seven world titles and the face of Mercedesâ dominance era. Watching a Dutchman dismantle those numbers in real time has produced a steady undercurrent of discomfort, and Verstappenâs own comments about possibly walking away after 2026 have been met with something that looks suspiciously like quiet relief in some quarters. F1 Career Stats at Age 28 | Stat | Lewis Hamilton (end of 2013 season) | Max Verstappen (as of April 2026) | | Age | 28 | 28 | | Races Started | 129 | 236 | | Wins | 22 | 71 | | Pole Positions | 26 | 48 | | Podiums | 58 | 127 | |