Max Verstappen's start-to-win ratio in F1 is now higher than Lewis Hamilton's in the wake of his victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Dutchman secured victory ahead of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc to extend his lead at the top of the Formula One standings.
Verstappen remains the man to beat in the sport, having won five of the first seven races of the season.
He is edging closer to a fourth F1 triumph in a row, with Hamilton only able to finish sixth at the Imola Circuit.
Max Verstappen has surpassed Lewis Hamilton's start-to-win ratio after his victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
REUTERS
And Formula1.com say Verstappen's start-to-win ratio is no 30,7 per cent, making him the best on the current grid.
It puts him 0.4 per cent ahead of Hamilton, who has amassed a start-to-win ratio of 30.4 per cent throughout his own career.
Verstappen was frustrated last time out as Norris won at the Miami Grand Prix.
But the 26-year-old was delighted after returning to winning ways, with the Red Bull star saying he was 'super' pleased to come out on top.
“The whole race I had to push flat out to try and make it up initially, on the medium tyres we were quite strong," he said.
"On the hard tyres it was a bit more difficult to manage, especially on the last 10 to 15 laps, I had no grip anymore and I was sliding a lot.
“I had Lando closing in so the last 10 laps were just flat out and it was very difficult when the tyres aren’t working anymore and you have to go flat out.
"I couldn’t afford to make too many mistakes, luckily we didn’t and I’m super happy to win here today.”
Red Bull chief Christian Horner praised Verstappen for fending off competition from Norris during the race in Italy.
"Massive pressure. A great, great job by Max to withstand that pressure," he said.
"It was a race of two halves for us. The first half was very strong, but the second half of that last stint, Lando started to catch us very quickly.
"The cars are converging after the latest upgrades, they are looking very similar. McLaren were very quick at this circuit and Ferrari as well."
As for Hamilton, the Stevenage-born racer was pleased with the improvement from Mercedes.
The Silver Arrows star started the event eighth on the grid.
And Hamilton insists sixth is the best Mercedes are capable of these days, with the 39-year-old saying: "We got points, that’s a positive.
“We’re in the middle of no man’s land. But that’s a strong finish, in general, for us.
"I don’t think there was much more to get.”
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Lewis Hamilton finished sixth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
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As for Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, the Austrian believes his team are finally showing signs of progress after a difficult start to the campaign.
"The car is feeling probably the best it has felt all season, to be honest, especially on such a challenging circuit like this," he said.
“I feel confident, we know it’s directionally correct.
“If you look at the gap to the front and our closest competitors, you see progress.
"P6 and P8 are not the positions we want to be in. We have been saying that for a while, but we see that the lead of others is getting smaller.
Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
REUTERS
“It takes time and we have to be patient, that’s the reality at the moment.
"We know we have developments in the pipeline that will improve the balance of the car.
“Even though our positions are not good enough now, we are moving in the right direction.
"During the race, we will focus on maximising the package we have now and try to score good points.”
