Unprecedented year for Verstappen
Max Verstappen has already won his third world title in Formula 1 well before the end of the season. The Dutchman was already assured of the championship after twelve of the nineteen laps in the sprint race, because his teammate Sergio Pérez crashed and retired. The Mexican did not score any points for the World Championship, meaning it no longer matters to Verstappen in which position he would finish in the sprint race.
Verstappen is the eleventh driver in Formula 1 history with three or more world titles. Record holders are Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher with seven titles. Other illustrious drivers with three titles include Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet, who is the father of Max’s girlfriend Kelly. The current season still has six races, including the main race on Sunday in Qatar. Then there are the GPs of the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.
To become champion so rarely early in the season was only achieved by German legend Michael Schumacher in 2002 in a Ferrari. Verstappen was unprecedentedly dominant this year. He won thirteen of the sixteen grands prix and was also the fastest in the sprint race at the Austrian GP. Only once was he not on stage. That was in the Singapore GP, where he finished fifth.
It was clear in advance that the Red Bull driver needed a place in the first six in the sprint race to become champion anyway, assuming that Pérez would also finish in the points. But the Mexican choked and ended up in the gravel trap after a collision with Esteban Ocon. Verstappen was therefore able to cruise to the finish, but that was not for the Dutchman. He wanted to make up for a faltering start, in which he dropped to sixth place. In a hectic race over 100 kilometers, Australian Oscar Piastri proved to be the fastest in his McLaren. Verstappen advanced to second place during the race after overtaking moves by, among others, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and George Russell (Mercedes).
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl