Max Verstappen is aiming to emulate Michael Schumacher's record of five successive Formula 1 Drivers' Championship titles heading into the 2025 finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Red Bull star has held the title of reigning world champion for just shy of four years and if he achieves a fifth title, he will likely surpass Schumacher for the longest single period as world champion.
We take a look at the longest champion stints in F1 history.
Michael Schumacher - 1,812 days
8th October 2000 - 24th September 2005
With five successive titles from 2000 to 2004, it's of little surprise to see Schumacher at the summit for the longest stint as world champion.
Schumacher claimed his third world title and his first with Ferrari at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2000 and defended his crown on three more occasions before he was eventually dethroned by Fernando Alonso at the Brazilian Grand Prix on 25th September 2005.
Juan Manuel Fangio - 1,518 days
22nd August 1954 - 18th October 1958
Juan Manuel Fangio dominated Formula 1 in its infancy and after securing his first world championship in 1951, the Argentine won four consecutive titles from 1954 to 1957 whilst driving for Maserati, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Fangio's reign came to an end on 19th October 1958 when Mike Hawthorn was crowned world champion for the first time at the Moroccan Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton - 1,504 days
29th October 2017 - 11th December 2021
Already a three-time world champion heading into the 2017 season, Lewis Hamilton commenced a dominant four-year period in F1 which saw him equal Schumacher's record of seven titles.
The Briton wrapped up the 2017 title with two rounds remaining at the Mexican Grand Prix and added 33 more race victories across his next three seasons to win four championships in a row.
He was on the cusp of securing a fifth consecutive title until the final stages of the infamous Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021, where Hamilton was overtaken by Verstappen on the last lap, handing the Dutchman the title.
Sebastian Vettel - 1,469 days
14th November 2010 - 22nd November 2014
Sebastian Vettel clinched his maiden world title in an epic four-way fight for the title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and subsequently dominated F1 until the dawn of the V6 era.
His 2011 and 2013 successes were comprehensive, but he was forced to snatch the 2012 title from Alonso's clutches in dramatic circumstances at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Vettel's supremacy concluded at the hands of Hamilton who won his second title in 2014.
Max Verstappen - 1,453 days
12th December 2021 - Present (6th December 2025)
Verstappen was crowned world champion in controversial circumstances at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but the Dutchman has since asserted his authority on the sport by achieving four successive titles, including a phenomenal 2023 campaign in which he won 19 of the 22 races.
Verstappen remains in with a chance of claiming a fifth successive world title in 2025.
