Max Verstappen reveals he has ‘passed halfway’ in his F1 career – as Dutch star gets ready for 200th race on home track aged just 26

Max Verstappen has revealed he has ‘passed halfway’ in his F1 career as the Dutch star gets ready for his 200th race on his home track this weekend at the age of just 26.

The racing icon was the youngest person to compete in an F1 weekend in Japan in 2014, aged 17 years and three days, before signing for Red Bull that year.

He then made his World Championship debut in 2015 at the age of 17 years, 166 days when he took part in the Australian Grand Prix.

Six years later, he won his first title after pipping Lewis Hamilton in controversial fashion in the final lap of the final race of the 2021 season at Abu Dhabi. 

In the following campaign, he broke the record of 13 race wins in a season shared by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel on his way to a record-breaking points total of 454 and 15 victories. 

He won his first title after pipping Lewis Hamilton in controversial fashion in the final lap of the final race of the 2021 season

His 2022 dominance was nothing compared to the 2023 campaign which saw him win 19 races earning 575 points

This was nothing compared to the 2023 campaign which saw him win 19 races earning 575 points, more than double that of second-placed Sergio Pérez, his Red Bull teammate.

Now, as he approaches 200 F1 races, Verstappen has shocked fans by revealing he has no plans to take part in another 200, in an interview ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort.

Asked whether he sees himself still competing in 200 races time, the 26-year-old simply says, ‘No’.

The Red Bull star grins before adding: ‘Nice and easy, yeah.

‘So we’ve passed halfway for sure.

‘But it’s been already of course an incredible ride.

‘I mean it doesn’t feel like 200 but of course we’re doing a lot of races now in a year so you add them quite quickly.’ 

Verstappen still has some way to go to topple Fernando Alonso on top of the race appearance leaderboard with 394 races.

Now, as he approaches 200 F1 races, Verstappen has shocked fans by revealing he has no plans to take part in another 200

Verstappen is third in the all-time wins list on 61, with a staggering 30.65 per cent victory percentage, but is far off Hamilton on 105

Schumacher meanwhile lies in second on 91 and has won seven titles

Kimi Räikkönen, Hamilton, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, Schumacher and Vettel all have appeared in the F1 more than 300 times. 

Verstappen is third in the all-time wins list on 61, with a staggering 30.65 per cent victory percentage, but is far off Hamilton on 105. Schumacher meanwhile lies in second on 91.

He is one of six drivers on three Championship titles and needs four more to join Hamilton and Schumacher on top spot with seven.