Verstappen seals third F1 title as Piastri wins sprint

DOHA :Max Verstappen added his name to the list of triple Formula One world champions on Saturday after Red Bull team mate and sole title rival Sergio Perez crashed out of the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race.

Mexican Perez needed to finish in the top three to keep the title open for another day, with the main grand prix on Sunday, but his hopes ended in a cloud of dust after tangling with Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg on lap 11.

The Red Bull was then stuck in the gravel, with Perez stepping out.

That meant Verstappen, who started third and finished second behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri, was the champion for the third year in a row with an unassailable lead of 184 points and only 172 left to win.

Team boss Christian Horner read out a roll call of greats over the radio after the 26-year-old Dutch driver crossed the finish line.

"Max, you are a three-times world champion. That's unbelievable. It's been an incredible year for you," said Horner.

Verstappen, who has won 13 of 16 grands prix so far including 10 in a row, replied: "Yeah, unbelievable guys. I don't know what to say. Thank you for providing me with such a car. It's been a lot of fun this year."

He also became the second youngest triple world champion after now-retired German Sebastian Vettel, who secured the third of his four crowns with Red Bull in 2012 at the age of 25, and the first to win the title in a sprint event.

The last to take the title on a Saturday was Brazilian triple champion Nelson Piquet in the 1980s.

Piastri's success ended Red Bull's domination of the sprints this season and earned the Australian rookie his first victory in F1, even if not a proper grand prix for the record books.

"When he (Verstappen) got through to second I thought I was