Max Verstappen beat the likes of Novak Djokovic, Robert Lewandowski and Tom Brady to take home the prestigious crown
Max Verstappen, the defending F1 World Champion became a part of an exclusive list of F1 drivers which includes Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel to win the prestigious Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. Verstappen took to Twitter to thank his well-wishers and fans for their constant support.
Revealing his thoughts after being announced as the award’s winner, Verstappen said: “I was very happy, of course, but it was a lot of hard work and years of preparation. I’m incredibly proud. Since I was a little kid I dreamt of being on the top step and winning the championship. I said to my dad [former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen], ‘We did it, this is what we worked for all these years and now we are here, the two of us, all the memories, all the years of travelling all over Europe, going for that one goal and we achieved it.’
He further added, “I’m the first Dutch driver to win the World Championship, so the reaction back in Holland was amazing from all the newspapers and fans, it’s something we’ll never forget. It means a lot to be recognised for this award, one of the highest ones in the world, so I’m incredibly happy.”
Double delight for Max Verstappen as he won the Imola Grand Prix on the same day
Max Verstappen put up a stellar show in Imola to win his second race of the season – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Max Verstappen was at his best in Imola on a day dominated by Red Bull which saw Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez take second place just behind the defending champion.
Verstappen looked like a man on a mission throughout the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Verstappen won the Sprint on Saturday to take pole position and successfully converted it to P1 to seal his second win of the season. With this win, Verstappen has gone up to the second spot with 59 points in the drivers’ championship, just behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (86).
Max Verstappen has had a roller-coaster season so far. The defending champion started on a poor note with a DNF in the Bahrain Grand Prix but came back strong in Jeddah to win the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, things didn’t go according to plan once again in Melbourne and Verstappen registered his 2nd DNF of the season at the Australian Grand Prix. Therefore, this win will certainly act as a major confidence booster for the defending champion ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
