After winning his first Formula 1 world title at the end of last season, Max Verstappen was named Dutch Sportsman of the Year in December at the annual NOC*NSF gala.
Now, a few months later, the Dutch driver has been able to add another important award to his showcase, that of Laureus for the best athlete of the year 2021. This is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of sports, and that is why they are known as ‘the Oscars of sport’.
Verstappen had already been nominated for the Newcomer of the Year award in 2016, the season in which he took his first win in motorsport’s top flight, but was unable to take home the statuette.
Six years later, the Red Bull has received the highest award of all, the best athlete of the year. Verstappen himself was nominated alongside tennis player Novak Djokovic , Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski , Olympic swimming champion Caeleb Dressel , marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady .
The Laureus awards gala took place in Seville this Sunday and Verstappen was logically not present because he had to compete in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which he also managed to win with a notable superiority over the rest of his rivals.
The Red Bull #1 has become the fourth driver in the history of Formula 1 to add this prestigious Laureus award for best athlete of the year to his record, following in the footsteps of M ichael Schumacher (who won it in 2002 and 2004 ), Sebastian Vettel (2014) and Lewis Hamilton (2020). Anecdotally, the latter had to share his prize with Lionel Messi .
