Max Verstappen won Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix to become the first driver to win 10 successive Formula 1 races; Verstappen eclipsed Sebastian Vettel’s record set in 2013; Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that such landmarks are “not important” to him
Last Updated: 03/09/23 7:53pm
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff questions whether Max Verstappen would hold any importance to setting a new record of ten consecutive Grand Prix wins.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff questions whether Max Verstappen would hold any importance to setting a new record of ten consecutive Grand Prix wins.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Max Verstappen’s record 10-race winning streak would not be “important” for him and is “for Wikipedia”.
Verstappen claimed another dominant victory in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix to eclipse the run of nine successive races Sebastian Vettel won in 2013.
The record was the latest to fall in a remarkable season in which Red Bull have won all 14 races, with Wolff’s once-dominant Mercedes team unable to answer their rivals’ brilliance.
During Mercedes’ eight-year streak of constructors’ titles from 2014-2021, Nico Rosberg recorded seven successive victories, while Lewis Hamilton has never claimed more than five wins in a row.
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Max Verstappen breaks the record for most consecutive race wins as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz battle for P3.
“Our situation was a little bit different because we had two guys fighting against each other within the team,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
“I don’t know whether he cares about the record, it’s not something that would be important for me, any of those numbers.
“It’s for Wikipedia, nobody reads that anyway.”
Verstappen: I never thought this was possible
Verstappen, who produced another imperious display to move 145 points clear at the top of the world championship as he closes on a third successive title, has repeatedly played down the importance of records.
The 25-year-old once more kept his emotions in check after the landmark victory, but did admit he “never thought” the achievement would be possible.
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Max Verstappen says he had to stay patient in his battle with Carlos Sainz as he secured a record breaking tenth win in a row, at the Italian GP.
“Of course it’s something you don’t expect to happen,” Verstappen said.
“I never thought at the beginning of the season that something like this was possible.
“So I’m just very proud, but also just very happy with the race in general.
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Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson was at the SkyPad to analyse Max Verstappen’s brilliant battle with Carlos Sainz for the lead of the Italian Grand Prix.
“I’m very proud also of the whole team effort, the whole year already.
“What we are doing at the moment winning every race this year is something that we definitely are enjoying, because I don’t think these kind of seasons come around very often, and that’s the same of course as winning 10 in a row.”
Horner reflects on ‘golden moment’
One individual not afraid of lauding Verstappen’s achievements throughout the season has been Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
With his team still on track to deliver the first ‘perfect’ season in the sport’s history, Horner described Sunday as a “golden moment” for Red Bull.
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Christian Horner says ‘it’s a huge effort from every department’ to help Max Verstappen to a record tenth straight victory for Red Bull.
“What Max is doing, he’s breaking records and driving at an unbelievable level,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the world right now who can beat Max Verstappen in this car, that’s for sure.
“You have to recognise and applaud what Max is doing at the moment. It’s very special to achieve what he’s achieved. We shouldn’t detract from that in any way.
“In sport, very rarely things like this happen. It’s a golden moment for him and a golden moment for the team.”
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Highlights of the Italian Grand Prix from Monza.
Like Verstappen, Horner is full of praise for the team effort that has gone into Red Bull achieving their current dominance.
“To have won 14 races out of 14 and leaving the European season undefeated is something we could never have imagined,” he added.
“To win a Grand Prix is hard enough, to win 14 in a row or 24 out of the last 25, that needs every single member of their team to do their part.
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Ted Kravitz is in the paddock as he reviews all the biggest stories from the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.
“We are racing against some massive opponents and we are taking it one race at a time. The next race is in Singapore, it’s a street circuit, it’s one of the toughest on the calendar and we saw last year how perilous it can be. We will just do our best to keep this momentum going.”
“You have to stay on top of your game. For me, that’s the most remarkable achievement this year so far – that we have managed to keep operating at an incredibly high level. That’s something that has not been seen before.”
Next up for the F1 circus are the stunning streets of Singapore under the lights. All sessions from the Singapore GP will be live on Sky Sports F1 from September 15-17. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW for just £26 a month for 12 months. Cancel anytime
