The return of Formula 1 after the 2024 summer break coincides with the Dutch Grand Prixalways held on the circuit of Zandvoort. An event that will see the home idol as the big favourite Max Verstappenfor different reasons: in addition to being supported by the fans of his Orange Army, there are also statistics that reward the reigning world champion. Since Zandvoort returned to F1 in 2021, Verstappen has taken three pole positions and three consecutive victories. If the #1 were to climb to the top step of the podium again this year, the number of successes in his homeland would rise to four (even though Verstappen was actually born in Belgium, where he also achieved three victories at Spa-Francorchamps), becoming one of the most successful drivers at home. However, the absolute record of triumphs in front of his home crowd is still far away.
Four victories
Verstappen is therefore chasing this milestone, which would allow him to equal three other drivers and reach the 4th place in the all-time rankings. In chronological order, the first to do so was Juan Manuel Fangiowho crossed the finish line first in his Argentina for four consecutive times, from 1954 to 1957, and with three different teams. The 1992 world champion can also boast such a high number of home successes, Nigel Mansell. Specifically, the ‘Lion of England’ he always succeeded at the wheel of the Williams in two different decades: in the two-year period 1986-1987 and in 1991-1992. An atypical case, finally, is that of Michael SchumacherThe German took four victories at Hockenheim in German Grand Prixthree of which with Ferrari, but the seven-time world champion also triumphed in front of his home crowd on four other occasions. The latter, however, saw Schumacher win at the Nürburgring, but in editions officially recognised as European Grand PrixThe successes of the ‘Kaiser’ in his Germany, therefore, there would be eight, but for statistical purposes they are four, as is the case for Mansell, who won this GP in the 1985 edition on the Brands Hatch circuit, and also in that case with Williams.
Five victories
Another British driver still holds the ‘bronze medal’ alone in this special ranking: Jim ClarkThe Scotsman in fact won five victories in the British Grand Prixall in the 1960s, with four of them consecutive from 1962 to 1965. Making these successes even more ‘British’, including the fifth and final achieved in 1967, were the victories achieved at the wheel of a Lotus.
Six victories
The second step of the podium is instead occupied by Alain Prost. The ‘Professor’between the 80s and 90s, celebrated in front of his compatriot fans on six occasions in French Grand Prix. The first two, in 1981 and 1983, had an aftertaste of French ‘grandeur’, given the successes achieved with Renault in Dijon and Paul Ricard. It was a different story from 1988 to 1990, always at Paul Ricard: in the first two years, Prost climbed to the top step with McLaren, before winning in his first year with Ferrari in 1990, denying Ivan Capelli the dream of a first career victory. The sixth and final success finally came in 1993, his last year in F1, in that case with Williams and on the Magny-Cours circuit.
Nine victories
The absolute record, finally, belongs to Lewis Hamilton. With his latest success this year at Silverstone, the Englishman has now achieved nine victories in his Great Britain. Again, Sir Hamilton took four consecutive victories from 2014 to 2017, all following his first success in 2008, then with McLaren. Hamilton then took home a hat-trick from 2019 to 2021, until the aforementioned success in 2024.
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