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While we all enjoy a close F1 battle just like in 2021 or 2016, sometimes a few drivers manage to dominate and become invincible no matter what. In light of Max Verstappen's unchallenged victorious streak, he might soon join the likes of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel to become one of the greats.
A few entities in F1 have crowned themselves world champions with no one to challenge them, when the season had not even wrapped up. While the past few years have seen dominance, Schumacher's and Hamilton's were definitely a top-notch above the others. These two-prolific drivers have seven world titles to their names, with Hamilton equalling Schumacher's record in 2020.
A driver is single-handedly not responsible for winning it all, and any sheer dominance is a concoction of Team Principal's brilliance, pit wall, engineers, etc., and thankfully it has been done quite a few times. So let's take a look at all the times when world championships were won with races remaining:
#1 When Michael Schumacher dominated the 2002 F1 championship with 6 races to go
Such was his dominance that Schumacher won 11 out of the 17 races in this year. Often, in fact, he was on a streak of back-to-back wins with barely anyone becoming a challenge to him. A cut above the rest of the grid, the man in red remained unchallenged for almost the entirety of the year.
Though there is obviously some luck involved when you get your F1 crown in July itself in front of the French crowd, Schumacher's sheer talent is not to be ignored. He was on 17 podiums that year, and started from pole seven times. The Ferrari's unique reliability was also a factor where teammate Rubens Barrichello was the closest competitor that Schumacher had.
#2 Nigel Mansell's thrilling season in F1 1992 - 5 races to spare
Mansell's FW14B was a sight for sore eyes, to say the very least. After being unlucky quite a few times with the title often going to Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna or even Nelson Piquet, it was finally Mansell's turn. In this list of contemporaries, he was possibly the only one left, and finally tasted the glory as an F1 champ in 1992.
Adding to that in the best way possible is the fact that there was only his teammate who came close to his title challenge. But even he was 52 points behind despite driving the same car. Mansell went on to take victory in nine out of the 16 races there were, and despite not finishing almost four times, he was safe. He also had 14 pole positions to his name.
#3 Sebastian Vettel won the 2011 title with 4 races to go
Sebastian Vettel had shocked the world after taking a never-done-before 2010 victory over Fernando Alonso despite a 39-point deficit. He proved his mettle as a driver when he took victories when they were needed the most. Though the title came down to the very last race, he somehow managed to win.
However, the upcoming seasons would be a cakewalk for Vettel most of the times. Despite having a highly competitive field, Vettel took 11 victories in 19 races of the 2011 F1 calendar. He started from pole 15 times, and achieved 392 points. The driver did face immense competition from Jenson Button and even Mark Webber, but they still fell behind their much younger compatriot.
In fact, Webber in the same Red Bull car but managed only one victory throughout the season, and started from pole only thrice. No wonder Vettel claimed the title in Suzuka itself.
#4 Lewis Hamilton locked in the 2020 title at the Turkish GP
No COVID-19 or teammate or rival or anything else could've stopped Lewis Hamilton from picking up his 7th F1 title. The race proved to be difficult for Hamilton, who made nothing short of a champions' drive to take his victory. He sat in the cockpit then, holding his head in hands, shocked at what he had managed.
The gloomy clouds during the GP were also banished as clear skies welcomed Hamilton to bring home the victory. He had a big margin though, even ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas, and had won 11 races that season. With three races left to go, he was already victorious.
Though the likes of Jim Clark, Juan Fangio etc. have also achieved similar feats, this list comprises of some of the most iconic wins with races to spare.
The next heir to this list is still awaited, but it will probably be Max Verstappen himself, who has already won nine races this season, and is very close to picking up his trophy with the end of the season not even necessary to mark his victory. Maybe we're witnessing the rise of another one of the greats of the sport.
