How the two compare after 233 starts

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton delighted F1 fans with one of the sport's fiercest rivalries in recent years. Their 2021 championship showdown will go down in history as one of the closest title battles of all time.

Since then, the pair have been unable to fight tooth and nail at the front of the field, mainly because Hamilton lacked a competitive car, initially with Mercedesand now with Ferrari. But neither wants to give even an inch to the other every time they share the same part of a race track, even today.

As Verstappen has made 233 F1 starts, we decided to dig up some statistics comparing the two F1 legends at this stage of their careers. Hamilton made 233 starts at the 2019 Azerbaijan GP.

Max Verstappen vs. Lewis Hamilton stats after 233 race starts

Lewis Hamilton made his F1 debut in 2007 with McLarenwhile Max Verstappen first took part in an F1 race in 2015 with Toro Rosso. It has now been more than a decade since the two men competed on the track.

Hamilton had already won two championships before Verstappen's F1 debut and, ironically, had won 33 races.

So, for a fairer comparison, here is Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton compared on some measurements after 233 race starts.

Championships (4 vs 5)

Max Verstappen has already won 4 championships in his career (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and missed out on a fifth by just two points at the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP. Hamilton had already won 5 titles (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018) by the time he reached 233 Grands Prix.

Victories (71 against 75)

Verstappen currently has 71 career victories, the last of which came at the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP. Hamilton, on the other hand, has achieved four more victories (75) after 233 races.

Podiums (127 against 138)

Verstappen has stood on 127 podiums during his F1 career after 233 races. Hamilton was already at 138 after the 2019 Azerbaijan GP.

Pole positions (48 against 84)

The biggest gap between the two lies in this measure, as Verstappen has secured 48 pole positions, while Hamilton had accumulated a whopping total of 84 pole positions after 233 races.

Fastest laps (36 vs. 41)

Verstappen has set the fastest lap in a race on 36 occasions, while Hamilton had done so five more times (41) at the same stage.

The fastest lap awarded a driver an additional world championship point if they finished in a points position from 2019 until the end of the 2024 F1 season. Today, the statistic has become purely ceremonial.

Career points (3444.5 vs. 3104)

The only measure Max Verstappen is ahead of Lewis Hamilton is career points total, as he has 3444.5 points after 233 races, compared to the Briton's 3104.

It is important to note that Hamilton raced for three seasons under the old points system which awarded a maximum of 10 points for a race victory. Since 2010, a race victory is worth 25 points, leading to this gap in Hamilton's numbers.