Max Verstappen was chosen the Best Sportsman of the Year 2021 at the Laureus Awards held this Sunday in Seville, being recognized for winning the Formula 1 World Championship last season beating Lewis Hamilton in a heart-stopping finish.
But the Dutchman was not the only representative of motorsport on the list of winners, and that is that Valentino Rossi (who, like Verstappen, did not attend the gala in person), was also awarded, in this case for his extensive and brilliant career. after retiring from MotoGP.
And it is that since he left the queen category of motorcycling, ‘The Doctor’ has not stopped receiving tributes and awards, the last of which is the Laureus Sporting Icon Award, which recognizes not only the nine world championships, 115 victories and 235 podiums that the Italian achieved in all categories, but also the legacy that he left behind.
Rossi, present at the Portuguese GP this weekend to support the VR46 Academy riders, thanked the award in a video posted by the Laureus on Twitter :
“Thank you very much. This is a very special award, so I have to thank the Laureus Academy,” said Valentino.
“This is the second time I have won the Laureus award, I was in Barcelona in 2006 and met many fantastic sports personalities, many of whom are my idols.”
“But, for me, the most special thing about my story is that so many people around the world know about MotoGP and motorcycle racing because they follow me. It’s a great feeling for me because it’s a sport that I love.”
“I think that’s the most important thing. I have a special place for this award. Thank you and I hope to see you as soon as possible.”
In addition to Valentino Rossi and Max Verstappen, they were also nominated (although they did not win) for these Laureus 2022 Marc Márquez, contender for the Comeback of the Year award, and the Mercedes F1 team, which was defeated by the Italian National Soccer Team in the Best Team Award. of the world of the year.
Curiously, and despite having been a legend and being a multiple world champion, Rossi has never won the Laureus prize (for best athlete of the year), although he had been awarded twice for other reasons: in 2006 he received the Laureus for Sporting Spirit and in 2011 the Laureus for Comeback of the Year .
The complete list of winners of the 2022 Laureus Awards
- Laureus Award for World’s Best Sportsman of the Year (Male) : Max Verstappen
- Laureus Award for World’s Best Sportsperson of the Year (Female) : Elaine Thompson-Herah
- Laureus Award for Best World Team of the Year : Italian men’s national football team
- Laureus Award for Discovery of the Year: Emma Raducanu
- Laureus Award for Comeback of the Year: Sky Brown
- Laureus Award for Global Action Sportsperson of the Year : Bethany Shriever
- Laureus Award for World Disabled Sportsman of the Year : Marcel Hug
- Laureus Sport for Good Award : Lost Boyz Incl.
- Laureus Sport for Good Society Award : Real Madrid Foundation
- Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Tom Brady
- Laureus Award for Exceptional Achievement : Robert Lewandowski
- Laureus Sports Defender of the Year Award: Gerald Asamoah and the Black Eagles
- Laureus Sports Icon Award: Valentino Rossi
