Max Verstappen hails third Formula One championship title as ‘best’ yet

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates win 

•  The 26-year-old Dutch star clinches his third title in a 19-lap sprint race in Qatar, with six Grands Prix to spare

 Max Verstappen has crowned a season of domination by securing his third Formula One world championship in Qatar and said it was the best yet.

The Red Bull driver won his first in highly controversial circumstances after a battle with Lewis Hamilton went down to the wire in 2021, the second with 15 wins in 22 races and the third on Saturday with six Grands Prix to spare.

 “This one is the best one,” he told reporters after finishing second in a 19-lap sprint race in Qatar as his sole title rival and teammate Sergio Perez crashed out after 11 laps.

“The first one was the most emotional one because that’s when your dreams are fulfilled in F1.

“But this one has definitely been my best year for consecutive wins and stuff like that, the car itself has been probably in the best shape as well. So for me, this one is probably the one I’m the most proud of in a way, because of the consistency.”

Oscar Piastri won the sprint – a rare achievement for a rookie, even if Verstappen’s title overshadowed it – and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris was third.

Verstappen won a record 10 races in a row from Miami in May to Singapore last month and has taken 13 victories from 16 grands prix.

Until Singapore, when he was fifth, he had been second in the two races he had not won.

Verstappen is one of only five drivers to have won three consecutive drivers’ world titles – alongside Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. He has also joined an elite group of three-time champions, including Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Jackie Stewart.