Verstappen Ends Ground Effect Era as Undisputed Laps Leader

Max Verstappen has concluded Formula 1's ground effect era as its undisputed king, leading a staggering 2,633 laps across the four-year span. The Red Bull driver's dominance, which also yielded three consecutive Drivers' Championships, puts him in a league of his own. His closest rival, Lando Norris, led less than a quarter of that total, highlighting the sheer scale of Verstappen's control.

Why it matters:

This statistic is a powerful quantification of Verstappen and Red Bull's stranglehold on this specific technical era of F1. While race wins are the ultimate prize, consistently leading laps demonstrates sustained performance, car superiority, and the ability to control races from the front. It underscores the immense gap that existed at the front of the grid and sets a high bar for dominance as the sport enters a new regulatory period.

By the numbers:

A look at the total laps led during the ground effect era (2022-2025) reveals the clear hierarchy:

• Max Verstappen: 2,633
• Lando Norris: 674
• Oscar Piastri: 576
• Charles Leclerc: 572
• George Russell: 346
• The gap is immense: Verstappen led nearly four times as many laps as Norris, his closest competitor, and more than the next four drivers on the list combined.

What's next:

With the ground effect era now in the rearview mirror, F1 is poised for a massive reset in 2026. New regulations will overhaul the power units, shifting to a 50/50 split between internal combustion and electric power, and will dramatically alter the aerodynamic philosophy. The disappearance of the ground-effect tunnels is designed to level the playing field, raising the question of whether any team can replicate the kind of dominance Verstappen and Red Bull have just displayed.