<p>One retirement could change everything but the statistics are stacking up for Red Bull's Max Verstappen as he seeks to deny Lewis Hamilton a record eighth Formula One championship this season.</p>.<p>Sunday's US Grand Prix victory L1N2RK0GH at Austin's Circuit of the Americas was the 24-year-old Dutch driver's eighth from 17 of 22 races, compared to five for Mercedes' seven times world champion.</p>.<p>Seasons have more races now but only once in the 70-year history of the championship has anyone won eight times and not ended up as champion.</p>.<p>That exception was Hamilton, who won 10 times in 2016 but lost out to German teammate Nico Rosberg after a down-to-the-wire battle.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/formula-1/verstappen-holds-off-hamilton-to-double-his-f1-lead-1043907.html" target="_blank">Verstappen holds off Hamilton to double his F1 lead</a></strong></p>.<p>Austin also saw Verstappen extend a record that may not be his for long.</p>.<p>No other driver has ever had so many career wins without winning a title, Verstappen's 18 well ahead of late British great Stirling Moss's 16.</p>.<p>With five races remaining, Hamilton cannot match his 2020, 2019 and 2018 tallies of 11 wins and the Briton will struggle to match even his worst of the Mercedes-dominated V6 turbo hybrid era -- nine in 2017.</p>.<p>Verstappen can still equal the record held jointly by Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) of 13 wins in a season.</p>.<p>The youngster is ahead of Hamilton 9-3 on pole positions and 13-12 on podium finishes, with the Briton ahead 5-4 on fastest laps.</p>.<p><strong>Stable head</strong></p>.<p>"Although Lewis has the experience of already winning world titles, I don't really see that as an advantage now," Australian Daniel Ricciardo said in talking about former team mate Verstappen's maturity.</p>.<p>"I do think Max is capable of it, he's got a pretty stable head on his shoulders now and he's proven that with some of the drives he's done this year."</p>.<p>If more omens are required, Hamilton has never won the title when not leading the championship going into Austin, a circuit where he had won five times in eight years and clinched two crowns.</p>.<p>This year he was six points behind Verstappen, a gap now extended to 12.</p>.<p>"I would never declare this a foregone conclusion at this stage of the season," 1996 champion Damon Hill told Sky Sports television on Monday.</p>.<p>"There's so many mishaps that happen in our sport and 25 points on the table for a victory but nothing if you don't finish, and that can obviously happen.</p>.<p>"He (Hamilton) really has to start winning again. It's eight versus five in victories to Max, so it is looking like it's Max's title at the moment."</p>.<p>The next two races are in Mexico and Brazil, both seen as favouring Red Bull, before a Middle East triple in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.</p>.<p>Qatar and Saudi are floodlit night races new to the calendar. </p>
<p>One retirement could change everything but the statistics are stacking up for Red Bull's Max Verstappen as he seeks to deny Lewis Hamilton a record eighth Formula One championship this season.</p>.<p>Sunday's US Grand Prix victory L1N2RK0GH at Austin's Circuit of the Americas was the 24-year-old Dutch driver's eighth from 17 of 22 races, compared to five for Mercedes' seven times world champion.</p>.<p>Seasons have more races now but only once in the 70-year history of the championship has anyone won eight times and not ended up as champion.</p>.<p>That exception was Hamilton, who won 10 times in 2016 but lost out to German teammate Nico Rosberg after a down-to-the-wire battle.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/formula-1/verstappen-holds-off-hamilton-to-double-his-f1-lead-1043907.html" target="_blank">Verstappen holds off Hamilton to double his F1 lead</a></strong></p>.<p>Austin also saw Verstappen extend a record that may not be his for long.</p>.<p>No other driver has ever had so many career wins without winning a title, Verstappen's 18 well ahead of late British great Stirling Moss's 16.</p>.<p>With five races remaining, Hamilton cannot match his 2020, 2019 and 2018 tallies of 11 wins and the Briton will struggle to match even his worst of the Mercedes-dominated V6 turbo hybrid era -- nine in 2017.</p>.<p>Verstappen can still equal the record held jointly by Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) of 13 wins in a season.</p>.<p>The youngster is ahead of Hamilton 9-3 on pole positions and 13-12 on podium finishes, with the Briton ahead 5-4 on fastest laps.</p>.<p><strong>Stable head</strong></p>.<p>"Although Lewis has the experience of already winning world titles, I don't really see that as an advantage now," Australian Daniel Ricciardo said in talking about former team mate Verstappen's maturity.</p>.<p>"I do think Max is capable of it, he's got a pretty stable head on his shoulders now and he's proven that with some of the drives he's done this year."</p>.<p>If more omens are required, Hamilton has never won the title when not leading the championship going into Austin, a circuit where he had won five times in eight years and clinched two crowns.</p>.<p>This year he was six points behind Verstappen, a gap now extended to 12.</p>.<p>"I would never declare this a foregone conclusion at this stage of the season," 1996 champion Damon Hill told Sky Sports television on Monday.</p>.<p>"There's so many mishaps that happen in our sport and 25 points on the table for a victory but nothing if you don't finish, and that can obviously happen.</p>.<p>"He (Hamilton) really has to start winning again. It's eight versus five in victories to Max, so it is looking like it's Max's title at the moment."</p>.<p>The next two races are in Mexico and Brazil, both seen as favouring Red Bull, before a Middle East triple in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.</p>.<p>Qatar and Saudi are floodlit night races new to the calendar. </p>