Verstappen Dominates Ground-Effect Era Laps-Led Chart
Max Verstappen dominated F1's ground-effect era, leading a staggering 2,633 laps. His total far surpassed all rivals, cementing his status as the era's defining driver ahead of the 2026 rule changes.
As Formula 1 closes the chapter on the ground-effect era, Max Verstappen stands alone as its most dominant force. The Red Bull driver led an astonishing 2,633 laps across the four-year span, a figure that underscores his and the team's supremacy. His nearest competitor, Lando Norris, led fewer than a quarter of that total, highlighting the sheer scale of Red Bull's control during this period.
Why it matters:
This statistic is more than just a number; it's a definitive measure of Verstappen and Red Bull's stranglehold on this specific regulatory period. Leading laps is the purest form of on-track dominance, and Verstappen's total illustrates how rarely the team was challenged at the front. It cements the 2022-2025 seasons as the "Verstappen era" in the history books, a period defined by one driver's overwhelming consistency and speed.
By the numbers:
The final tally for laps led during the ground-effect era paints a clear picture of the hierarchy:
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 2,633 laps led
- Lando Norris (McLaren): 674 laps led
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 576 laps led
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 572 laps led
- George Russell (Mercedes): 346 laps led
- The gap is stark: Verstappen led more laps than Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, and Russell combined.
- Other notable drivers include Sergio Perez (294), Carlos Sainz (283), and Lewis Hamilton (92), whose numbers further emphasize the Dutch driver's dominance.
What's next:
With the ground-effect era now in the rearview mirror, F1 is on the cusp of a seismic shift in 2026. The new regulations will overhaul the cars, eliminating the ground-effect tunnels in favor of a new aerodynamic philosophy and introducing more powerful hybrid power units. This reset represents a crucial opportunity for teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes to challenge Red Bull's dominance and forge a new competitive landscape for the next chapter of Formula 1.