Max Verstappen has won his third consecutive Formula One title as the rampant Red Bull superstar confirms his dominance after Sergio Perez crashes in Qatar sprint.
The Red Bull ace wrapped up his third consecutive world title in style as the drivers’ championship leader needed to finish just sixth or above in Qatar and his triumph was confirmed after closest rival Sergio Perez span out the race.
Perez’s two early victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan and Carlos Sainz’s win in Singapore remain the only blots on Verstappen’s masterful record this season.
He now trails his team-mate by a staggering gap totalling 184 points as he recovered from a sluggish start to trail eventual winner Oscar Piastri.
With the latest victory, Verstappen has won 13 races to date this year, with Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz the only other drivers to take the chequered flag in first place.
He also set a new record for racking up 10 consecutive victories earlier in the campaign, surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher in the process.
Underlining his status as one of the all-time greats, Verstappen, who narrowly missed out to impressive rookie Piastri, also emerged on top in two of the year’s four sprints.
His triumph leaves Perez and Lewis Hamilton locked in a tussle over second spot.
“I don’t know what to say. Incredible year, thank you for providing me with such a car. It has been a pleasure so far this year”, Verstappen said over team radio.
