Third title in a series
Dominator Verstappen is crowned Formula 1 world champion
October 7, 2023, 7:56 p.m
Max Verstappen is world champion in Formula 1 for the third time in a row. The Red Bull driver has won 13 of the 16 Grands Prix of the year so far and benefited from an accident involving his last World Championship competitor in the sprint the evening before the race in Qatar.
Max Verstappen climbed onto his superior Red Bull, stuck three fingers in the air and jumped into the arms of his mechanics with relief. The now three-time champion celebrated his hat-trick of titles in Formula 1 in his car that evening and addressed emotional words to his team. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t thank you all enough,” said Verstappen after he successfully defended his title in the sprint in Qatar and came in second.
The 26-year-old secured the title during the short race when his teammate Sergio Pérez retired on the eleventh lap. The Mexican was the only pursuer who could have caught up with Verstappen, at least mathematically. “It’s an incredible feeling, it’s been an incredible year. Being a three-time world champion is unreal,” said Verstappen.
Verstappen’s placement in the Qatar sprint was irrelevant due to Pérez’s failure; in the end, after three safety car phases, he only had to admit defeat to the surprise winner Oscar Piastri in the McLaren. His teammate Lando Norris from Great Britain came third behind him.
Although there are still six Grand Prix to complete before the end of the season, Verstappen can no longer be pushed out of first place in the overall standings. After the triumphs in 2021 and 2022, the Dutchman becomes the new series world champion. “I’m enjoying the moment now, but I hope we can continue like this in the future,” said Verstappen. Red Bull’s motorsport director Helmut Marko appeared “overwhelmed” on Sky and said of the successful driver: “There’s still a lot to come.”
Verstappen botches the start, but still celebrates
Verstappen is the eleventh driver with at least three titles in the premier motorsport class. Only four other racing drivers won three World Cup trophies in a row before him: Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Juan Manuel Fangio. Hamilton and Schumacher are also the record world champions with seven titles each. Will Verstappen make it there one day? “We see what happens year after year,” said Verstappen, who says he is not concerned with such records.
Given the oppressive superiority in Red Bull and the next major rule reform, there is currently no end to his series of titles in sight. Even though the World Championship has now been decided, the dominator would like to continue winning in the remaining six Grand Prix. “I’m very proud to have achieved these things. And I still want to achieve more,” said Verstappen before getting into the car in Qatar: “All of this is something that I would never have thought possible as a small child.”
There won’t be a big party on Saturday evening; Verstappen has to get back in the car on Sunday (7 p.m./Sky) and is aiming for his 14th victory of the season in the main race on the Arabian Gulf from first place on the grid. His personal best comes from the previous season, in which he triumphed 15 times.
He could even significantly exceed this value by the end of the season in Abu Dhabi at the end of November. Red Bull had already successfully defended its title of constructors’ world champion two weeks ago in Japan.
In the fourth sprint of the year, Verstappen didn’t get off to a good start and lost two places. When he was in the middle of catching up, Pérez went off the track and got stuck in the gravel. He had collided with the French Esteban Ocon in the Alpine and the German Nico Hülkenberg in the Haas. All three were unable to finish the race and were eliminated. In the end, Verstappen moved up to second place, but it was no longer enough for the top position and the 22-year-old polesitter Piastri deservedly took the victory.