Max Verstappen has broken the record for the highest points average before the summer break, and 2023 is on track to become the most dominant season in history.
The first half of the 2023 season has only delivered one winning team: Red Bull. The energy drink team has built an unassailable car for the rest of the grid, achieving a clean sweep in all races so far.
While it's true that Sergio Perez secured two victories early in the season, giving the impression he could challenge Verstappen for the championship, the Dutch driver has dominated since the Miami Grand Prix, securing eight consecutive wins and a total of ten triumphs in the first twelve races of the season.
Throughout the history of Formula 1, there have been numerous dominant seasons, such as Mercedes' reign from 2014 to 2020, Red Bull's era between 2010 and 2013, and Ferrari's dominance from 2000 to 2004.
Using the current points system, established in 2010, and excluding the sprint races introduced in 2021, we can easily determine which were the most dominant seasons leading up to the summer break.
Verstappen: The most dominant in history up to the summer break
Verstappen has accumulated 292 points in 12 rounds, boasting an incredible points average of 24.3. Excluding the six fastest laps he achieved, the score stands at 286, with an average of 23.8 thanks to his ten victories and two second-place finishes across the 12 races.
In this manner, the Dutch driver has beaten all the figures from the rest of the historically dominant F1 seasons. In second place stands Sebastian Vettel's 2011 season, where he secured 234 points in 11 rounds, with an average points score of 21.3 before the summer break. The German clinched six wins, and his worst finish was a fourth place in his home race.
Not far behind is Lewis Hamilton's 2019 season, during which the British driver gathered 250 points in 12 races. Excluding the two fastest laps he achieved, Hamilton achieved an average of 20.6 points and secured eight victories.
Following these dominant seasons are Hamilton's 2015 season with an average of 20.2 points and Verstappen's 2022 season with 19.1.