Max Verstappen is on course to set a new record for the biggest points lead a Formula 1 driver has ever scored over his team mate.
The Red Bull driver beat his previous team mate, Sergio Perez, by a record 290 points in 2023. He came close to beating that record last year when he finished 285 points ahead.
However Yuki Tsunoda, who has been Verstappen’s team mate for the majority of the season, is lagging even further behind. Verstappen is on course to out-score him by more than 300 points.
Tsunoda joined Red Bull at the third round of the world championship in Japan having started the season at Racing Bulls. Over the entire season Verstappen has out-scored Tsunoda by 366 points to 28, a gap of 338. Taking only the races where they shared a team into account, the gap is 305.
Either way, Verstappen has already passed the record and could build on that over the remaining races. Tsunoda, of course, could reduce the gap, but that would require a drastic reversal in their form over the season.
Since joining Red Bull, Tsunoda has finished out of the points more than twice as many times as he’s finished in the points. Verstappen has as many grand prix wins as Tsunoda has points-scoring finishes. Tsunoda has only out-scored his team mate once, in the sprint race at Miami, when a post-race penalty dropped Verstappen behind him.
The chances of Verstappen breaking his 2023 record therefore look very strong:
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| Year | Driver | Score | Driver | Score | Deficit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Max Verstappen | 575 | Sergio Perez | 285 | 290 | 22 rounds |
| 2024 | Max Verstappen | 437 | Sergio Perez | 152 | 285 | 24 rounds |
| 2025 (full season) | Max Verstappen | 366 | Yuki Tsunoda | 28 | 338 | 22 rounds to Las Vegas |
| 2025 (Red Bull only) | Max Verstappen | 330 | Yuki Tsunoda | 25 | 305 | 20 rounds, Japan to Las Vegas |
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*Excluding first two rounds when pair were not team mates
**Excluding first six rounds when pair were not team mates
***Excluding first two rounds when pair were not team mates
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