Max Verstappen secured his third consecutive Formula 1 world championship after placing second in Saturday’s Qatar Grand Prix sprint race.
The Red Bull Racing driver only needed to finish sixth to clinch the title.
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, who sits second in points, retired from the race, ultimately securing Verstappen’s seat atop the F-1 standings for a third time.
“It’s a fantastic feeling, to be three time world champion is incredible,” Verstappen said. “It’s brilliant for the team, my family and my friends too. From day one my family have contributed so much of their lives to make me the person I am today.
“Luckily, I got to FaceTime my mum after the race, she was already on the champagne! It’s beautiful because my mum understands, she is a racer too. My dad and was here at the track also so it’s nice to have them close. We talk about performance of the car but I think that the most important thing is the atmosphere and the people working in the team,” Verstappen continued.
“We’ve had a lot of great results in tough conditions, but we did an incredible job. It’s been a fantastic year and the team have been working tirelessly throughout the whole year. It’s been so enjoyable to be part of this group of people. For now, I’m just enjoying the moment and hopefully we can keep this momentum going for a while, you know we’ll keep on pushing and trying to do the best we can.”
The championship elevated the Dutchman into an exclusive list alongside Jack Brabham, Nelson Piquet, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda and Ayrton Senna as three-time champions.
While Verstappen celebrated the accomplishment, McLaren showed out with rookie Oscar Piastri placing first in the 19-lap race around Lusail Int’l Circuit and teammate Lando Norris rounding out the podium positions. It was Piastri’s first victory in the open-wheel series.
“I’m very happy,” said Piastri. “It was a very stressful race! When I saw all the soft [tire] guys come through at the start, I thought we were in a bit of trouble, but then their tires fell off pretty quickly – that was good.
“Safety Cars were my friend today, definitely once Max got behind me, but the pace was reasonable… I think in a race where you had to manage a lot, the tires, cars on other compounds, I think we did a really good job.”
The Mercedes duo of George Russell (fourth) and Lewis Hamilton (fifth) competed the top-five positions. Ferrari’s two-horse stable of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Williams’ Alex Albon placed eighth with Fernando Alonso wheeling his Aston Martin to a ninth-place finish. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
Haas F-1’s Kevin Magnussen brought his machine home in 14th as the lone Haas driver to finish. Nico Hulkenberg was involved in an accident with Perez and Esteban Ocon, ending his chance at points.