Red Bull’s Max Verstappen says his third world title, sealed in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race, is his “best”.
Verstappen finished second to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to put the championship out of reach with six grands prix remaining in a season he has dominated.
It was his third drivers’ championship in a row, after wins in 2021 and 2022.
Verstappen said: “The first one was the most emotional – that’s when your dreams are fulfilled. This has been my best year.”
The Dutchman said he felt he had been driving on a new level this season compared to previously in his career – a view shared by many within the sport.
“Sometimes I am not happy with the performance or how the weekend was going but I always try to be perfect,” Verstappen said. “I always try to be better every race weekend I go to.
“I analyse my performance race after race and the same this year. That’s why I think this year performance-wise is definitely the best one. The middle one is now the middle one.”
Verstappen’s championship puts him equal with legends of the sport such as Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, Sir Jackie Stewart and others, and at 26 years of age he has the potential to threaten the all-time records for wins and championships held by Lewis Hamilton.
He said the achievement “sounds great” and was “something I never really dreamed of – it is a proud moment for myself and my family”.
