Max Verstappen wins third Formula One world title in Qatar GP sprint

08.10.2023 - 07:11 thenationalnews.com

Max Verstappen secured the Formula One title for the third straight year on Saturday. Verstappen finished second in the sprint race at the Qatar Grad Prix while his teammate Sergio Perez, the only driver who could catch him in the standings, crashed out after being struck by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine.

Rookie Oscar Piastri won the sprint for McLaren. The title race was all but over long before Verstappen made sure of it Saturday.

His run of 10 straight wins, an all-time F1 record, from May to September left him far ahead in the standings. Even so, Perez needed to finish in the top three places to keep the title officially open for another day, with the main race on Sunday, but started eighth and dropped to 11th before colliding with Alpine's Ocon on lap 11.

The Red Bull was then stuck in the gravel, with Perez stepping out. That meant Verstappen, who was running in third place at the time, was champion for the third year in a row no matter where he finished.

rowing sprint red bull record Oscar UPS Max Verstappen Christian Horner Sergio Perez Esteban Ocon Qatar Netherlands

Max Verstappen will be hunting a "fun" 50th career victory from sixth on the grid in Sunday's United States Grand Prix after cruising to victory for Red Bull in Saturday's sprint race. The newly crowned three-time world champion led from pole position to the chequered flag to finish 9.465 seconds clear of revitalized seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Charles Leclerc came home third for Ferrari, 17.997 adrift. "The pace of the car was really good today," said the 26-year-old Dutchman, who wrapped up his third consecutive drivers' title with victory in Qatar earlier in October.

Max Verstappen wins Austin sprint race to make up for Grand Prix qualification pain

Max Verstappen saw off old rival Lewis Hamilton to win a US Grand Prix sprint race from pole position on Saturday.

Max Verstappen Chases Records As Formula 1 Starts Americas Stint

Max Verstappen will be racing for pride, points and records this weekend at the United States Grand Prix as his rivals compete for positional prize money behind the newly-crowned champion. But in the first of four weekends' racing in the Americas before the season-closer in Abu Dhabi, much attention will be taken by politicking and preparations for 2024 with Ferrari and Mercedes striving to close the gap behind the dominant Red Bull team.

'Fantastic' Max Verstappen Wins Third Straight Formula One Title

Max Verstappen clinched his third consecutive world title on Saturday when he finished second behind rookie Oscar Piastri in an incident-filled sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix, describing his success as "fantastic". It was a fine maiden Formula One victory for Australian 22-year-old Piastri, but his feat was overshadowed by Verstappen's achievement, the Dutchman having required only three points to take the title. His only rival and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was involved in a collision and retired, making him the first "Saturday champion" since Nelson Piquet, father of his girlfriend Kelly, in South Africa in 1983.