Max Verstappen beats long-standing Michael Schumacher record after F1 Sao Paulo GP

Max Verstappen has beaten a long-standing Michael Schumacher F1 record.

Up until this weekend, Schumacher held the record for most consecutive days leading the F1 drivers’ championship.

The German led the F1 drivers’ standings for 892 days - a run stretching from the 2000 United States Grand Prix to the 2003 Australian GP.

The 2003 Australian GP was the first race of the season and Schumacher could only finish fourth.

The German would go on to win the 2003 and 2004 F1 drivers’ titles, becoming a seven-time world champion.

The last time Schumacher led the F1 drivers’ championship was in 2006 following the Chinese Grand Prix.

Verstappen has now beaten Schumacher’s record for days at the top of the standings.

The Dutchman has remained top of the drivers’ championship since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.

While Charles Leclerc led the early part of the 2022 campaign, Verstappen took the lead in Barcelona after the Ferrari driver suffered a mechanical failure when leading the race.

The remainder of 2022 - and 2023 - was dominated by Verstappen and Red Bull.

Verstappen enjoyed a record-breaking 2023 campaign, winning 19 of the 22 races to take his third world title.

The Dutchman is on course to win his fourth title in 2024.

Despite McLaren, on balance, having the quicker car since Imola, Verstappen has extended his lead over Lando Norris to 62 points.

Verstappen put in a legendary drive at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix to win from 17th on the grid.

He’s now within touching distance of his fourth title.