Verstappen: 'Never thought I would win 14 GPs in a year!'

Max Verstappen admitted that never in his wildest dreams did he expect to break the record for the most race victories in a single season.

The previous record had been jointly held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. Verstappen equalled that record last time out in the United States, but his win in Mexico puts him out in front on his own.

"I never thought I would be able to win 14 races in a year," he said in the post-race media interviews following his latest success, adding: "But of course, incredibly proud.”

• Read also: Verstappen sets new record with 14th win of 2022 in Mexico

In the process he's also set a new record for points scored in a single season with 416, with two more races to go at a time when he's looking completely unbeatable in every race.

"We have a sprint race in Brazil so hopefully we can score a few more," he pointed out. “But I mean it’s not about that.

"At the end of the day it’s about trying to win a championship, and it doesn’t matter by how many points you do it. But it does show we are having an incredible year!"

Although he started from pole, it wasn't clear whether Verstappen would claim the record today as the race came down to some cagey race strategies.

Verstappen ran the first stint on the softs while Mercedes went for mediums. It meant Verstappen stopped earlier than Lewis Hamilton for a new set of mediums, while his rival subsequently switched to the hardest compound.

While Hamilton could definitely make it to the finish, there was a big question mark about whether Verstappen's tyres would last to the finish. In the end, careful management meant he completed the race with ease.

"Quite early on we figured that we could make it to the end," he explained. "We knew that that first stint was going to be the crucial one for us to keep that soft tyre alive long enough, which seemed to work.

"I did struggle a bit towards the end, but luckily the gap was big enough to extend a few laps," he added. "Once we put on the medium tyres, everything was working quite well."

As well as his landmark achievement, Verstappen was also thrilled with the reception he and his Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez received in Mexico this weekend.

"They put on a great show, the atmosphere in general is incredible with the fans," he said. "They are super passionate about Formula 1 – but of course, about Checo!

"It also helps a lot that you have that whole stadium. It makes it look incredible. It’s a great atmosphere.”

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