The legendary Formula 1 driver and 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher famously once claimed “I always thought records are there to be broken” – and ever since the first Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950, drivers have gone on to set records, and see their own records broken with future generations setting the bar higher and higher for others to reach. Keeping that in mind, which Formula 1 records could be broken during the upcoming World Championship season?
Most World Championships
Having mentioned Schumacher at the beginning of this article, where better to start than speaking about the number of World Championships won by drivers? Back in 2020, Lewis Hamilton won his 7th World Championship to equal Schumacher’s record. In 2021, Hamilton came very close to winning the World Championship, but in controversial circumstances, he ultimately fell short in the final race, and it was Max Verstappen who won his first ever Formula 1 World Championship, becoming the 34th different driver to do so since the sport’s inception in 1950.
The record for most Formula 1 World Championships by a single driver is a record that, excluding the first ever Formula 1 World Championship in 1950 won by Giuseppe Farina, has only ever been broken 3 times before – with Alberto Ascari winning his second World Championship in 1953 to surpass Farina and Fangio who had previously won one title each (in 1950 and 1951 respectively), before Fangio then broke the record again in 1955 by winning his 3rd World Championship before extending his record to 5. Schumacher then broke that record again in 2003 as he won his 6th title, before winning a 7th the following year.
If Hamilton were to win the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship, he would claim a remarkable 8th title and become only the fourth driver to break this prestigious record. Can he bounce back from last season’s disappointment, and do it? If Mercedes provide with him a car that can compete for the title, one would be foolish to bet against him doing so.
Most pole positions at the same Grand Prix
Currently, Hamilton holds this record together with Schumacher and legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna. Senna took 8 pole positions at the San Marino Grand Prix (and his last pole at this Grand Prix turned out to be his last ever in Formula 1, with him tragically being killed in the very same race), whilst Schumacher himself managed to take 8 pole positions at the Japanese Grand Prix. Hamilton boasts 8 pole positions at the Australian and Hungarian Grand Prix – should he take pole position at either (or both) of these Grand Prix this year (with the Australian Grand Prix set to return to the calendar after a two-year hiatus which denied him the opportunity to break this record during that period), he would break this record by taking a 9th pole position at the same Grand Prix.
Alternatively, should Hamilton fail to break this record this year, he could equal it at two different Grand Prix this year should he claim pole position at either the British or Italian Grand Prix (or both).
Most race starts until a driver’s first pole position
A record that currently belongs to Mark Webber, who took his first ever pole position on his 130th race start, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez (Ferrari and Red Bull drivers respectively) both have more than 130 race starts to their name and are still without a single pole position. In fact, Sergio Perez currently boasts an unwanted record of most race starts without a pole position – having currently started 213 races.
Therefore, were one (or possibly both) of Sainz and Perez to take a pole position in 2022, they would break the record for most race starts until a driver’s pole position (depending on who takes his first pole position later in the event both manage to this year). In the case of Perez, he would of course relieve himself of the record of most race starts without a pole position – which record would then pass on to Romain Grosjean who started a total of 179 races without a single pole position to his name.
Most consecutive Grand Prix between one pole position and the next for a driver
Kimi Räikkönen currently holds this record, with 168 races taking place between the 2008 French Grand Prix – in which Räikkönen took pole – and the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, the next time that Räikkönen started a race on pole position (admittedly, Räikkönen was not in Formula 1 during 2010 and 2011, in which 38 races took place during this sequence).
Fernando Alonso currently has not started a race on pole position since the 2012 German Grand Prix, and a total of 189 races have since taken place. Therefore, if Alonso were to take a pole position in 2022, he would break the record for most consecutive Grand Prix between one pole position and the next by a driver. However, if Alpine’s form last season is anything to go by and given some less than optimistic noises by the team about this year’s chances, it is not unfair to suggest that this is one of the least likely records from the ones mentioned that will be broken.
Most seasons (and consecutive seasons) with at least one win for a driver
Hamilton has won at least one race every single year from 2007 right until 2021 for an impressive 15 seasons. He currently shares this record with Michael Schumacher, who himself won at least one race every year between 1992 and 2006 (both years included). If Hamilton therefore were to win at least one race during 2022, he would break the record for most seasons with at least one race win, and in the process would simultaneously break the record for most consecutive seasons with at least one race win, and given Mercedes’ form in the past 10 years, one would reasonably expect Hamilton to successfully break this record. Also, Hamilton would extend and keep up his record of being the only driver in Formula 1 history to have won at least one race in every single season he has competed in.
Most wins at the same Grand Prix
Schumacher holds this record having won the French Grand Prix a remarkable 8 times during his career, and shares this record with Hamilton, who himself has won both the British and Hungarian Grand Prix 8 times. If he were to win either (or both) of these Grand Prix in 2022, he would break the record with a phenomenal 9th win at the same Grand Prix – so keep an eye out on these two races during the month of July.
If Hamilton fails to win either of these two Grands Prix mentioned above, he could equal this record by taking an 8th victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, which is set to return this year after 2 years away because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most consecutive Grand Prix between one win and the next for a driver
Kimi Räikkönen currently holds this record, with 114 races taking place between the 2013 Australian Grand Prix – which Räikkönen won – and the 2018 United States Grand Prix, the next time that Räikkönen won a race.
Fernando Alonso currently has not won a race since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, and a total of 174 races have since taken place. Therefore, if Alonso wins a race in 2022, he will break the record for most consecutive Grand Prix between one win and the next by a driver. However, given Alpine’s form last season and some less than optimistic noises by the team about their chances this year, it is not unfair to suggest that, just like the record of most consecutive Grand Prix between one win and the next for a driver, this is one of the least likely records from the ones mentioned that will be broken.
Most consecutive wins at the same Grand Prix
Senna, a driver loved by so many Formula 1 fans, was extremely dominant at the Monaco Grand Prix during his career and is in fact often regarded by Formula 1 observers as the “King of Monaco”. He won the event every year for 5 consecutive years between 1989 and 1993 (both years included).
Hamilton, however, has himself become extremely dominant in recent years at the Spanish Grand Prix, and has won the event for each of the last 5 consecutive years from 2017 right until last season, and were he to win this year’s Spanish Grand Prix again, he would take a record 6th consecutive win at the same Grand Prix.
Most consecutive seasons with at least one podium finish
Hamilton and Schumacher have both finished on the podium in at least one race for an impressive 15 consecutive seasons, in the case of the former, every year between 2007 and 2021, whilst the latter managed to do so every year from 1992 until 2006. If Hamilton therefore were to finish on the podium in at least one race during 2022, he would break the record for most consecutive seasons with at least one podium finish, and one would expect Hamilton to successfully do so. Also, Hamilton would extend and keep up his record of being the only driver in Formula 1 history to have finished on the podium in at least one race in every single season he has competed in.
Most race starts
A record which was broken as recently as in 2020, when at that year’s Eifel Grand Prix, Räikkönen started his 323rd race and in the process surpassed Rubens Barrichello’s record of 322 race starts. Räikkönen went on to extend that record to 349 race starts until he retired from Formula 1 at the end of last year.
As Räikkönen has now retired from Formula 1, this means that he will not be able to extend this record, and with Alonso set to remain in the sport this year having returned last season after two years away prior to that (in which time he would have been the first to break Barrichello’s record of most race starts, actually), he is firmly in line to break Räikkönen’s record this year. Alonso has currently started a total of 333 races, and assuming he starts every race this season (an extremely likely one), he would break the record with his 350th Formula 1 race start at this year’s Russian Grand Prix (which is the 17th race out of 23 planned, meaning that he could then extend his record to at least 356 race starts should he start all scheduled races).
Most races finished
This is another record held by Räikkönen, who finished a total of 278 races during his career. However, Alonso and Hamilton are close behind with 265 and 260 races respectively. Given the reliability of Formula 1 cars nowadays, one would expect at least one (if not both) of these two drivers to surpass Räikkönen’s total during 2022. The first opportunity for Alonso to break this record will come at the Belgian Grand Prix if he finishes each of the first 14 races in 2022, whilst should he not have surpassed Räikkönen’s total, then Hamilton’s first opportunity to break this record will come at this year’s Japanese Grand Prix. Having said that, Alonso only failed to finish 2 races in the whole of last season, so one would suggest that the likelihood of Alonso breaking this record come the Japanese Grand Prix is quite high.
Most hat-tricks
A hat-trick means a driver winning a race having started it from pole position, together with setting the fastest lap. It is a record currently held by Schumacher, who scored a total of 22 hat-tricks in his career. Hamilton, however, is close behind with 19 hat-tricks to his name and only needs 4 to break the record.
Although it cannot entirely be ruled out, especially if Mercedes provide Hamilton with a very dominant car, given that the record for most hat-tricks in a single season is 5 and has only ever been achieved twice (Hamilton has achieved 4 hat-tricks in a year twice before, though), then one would say that this is not necessarily the most likely record to be broken in 2022.