Max Verstappen wins third consecutive Formula One world championship
Max Verstappen and his dad, Jos, both kept their cards close to their chest regarding whether the Red Bull star could retire early from F1. Verstappen mathematically secured his third consecutive Drivers’ Championship on Saturday by taking second in the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint.
The 26-year-old has made no secret of the fact that he does envisage racing on as long as some of F1’s elder statesmen. At his current rate, it may not be long before Verstappen is knocking on the door of seven world titles, a benchmark currently occupied by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
Yet more points in Saturday’s sprint race officially made it three Drivers’ Championships for the Dutchman. And while he was widely lauded for a sequence of dominant displays in 2023, talk soon turned to when he may look for a different challenge.
When asked by former world champion Nico Rosberg about what the future may hold, Verstappen told Sky Sports: “We’ll just see what happens. I’m enjoying the moment and we’re going to try and keep this momentum going for a while.”
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Verstappen’s dad, Jos – a former F1 star in his own right – is taking a similarly relaxed approach to the prospect of his son walking away before racing into old age. “We will see, we don’t know yet,” he said. “This is a good thing and we need to enjoy it.”
The 51-year-old continued by praising Verstappen for an exceptional season, which has seen him blow away the competition with a whopping six Grands Prix to spare.
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“He’s been so dominant this year,” he said. “He delivered really well and we’re very proud about that. I knew about his talent for a long time, even in karting. I think we made the right decisions in the beginning of his career, and I must say, now it’s up to him what he does. I must say I’m just very happy about how strong he is and the way he works. The credit is definitely for Max.”
Verstappen was unable to celebrate his third consecutive title triumph with a victory on Saturday as McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri won the sprint race in impressive fashion.
Lando Norris completed a top day for McLaren by taking third, with Verstappen in second. And the Red Bull ace did not let the suboptimal result ruin his happiness at sealing the crown.
“It’s a fantastic feeling, it’s been an incredible year,” he said. “It’s been so enjoyable to be part of this team, and to be a three-time world champion is just incredible.”
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