That means he has more than doubled the tally of second-placed Sergio Perez, his Red Bull team-mate, which has never happened in F1 before.

2009 world champion Jenson Button was among the first to point out the remarkable feat, asking if anyone had got close before, and GPFans’ Chris Deeley revealed that – in fact – no, they hadn’t.

Has an F1 Champion ever had more than double the points of 2nd in the champs? https://t.co/Smn5QZtaY5

— Jenson Button (@JensonButton) November 26, 2023

The closest challengers

A couple of drivers have got close to doubling their nearest title rivals previously but that was also when there were fewer points on offer.

Nigel Mansell came within four points of the remarkable accomplishment when he became champion of the world in 1992, missing out on doubling up his team-mate Riccardo Patrese.

Max Verstappen has become almost unstoppable and that is a frightening thought for F1

Sir Jackie Stewart also came within four points during his title season of 1971, beating Ronnie Peterson.

Michael Schumacher also got close during his dominant Ferrari years, particularly in 2003 when he was seven points away from doubling David Coulthard’s total for McLaren.